Monday, July 25, 2011

Global Short Story Competition winners for June

The Global Short Story Competition has announced its winners for June with judge Fiona Cooper unable to split the top two stories so the prize is divided between a writer from Australia and one from Scotland.


Violet and Silver, by Julie Chilver, from Cooran, in Queensland, Australia, was selected because, as Fiona says: “What a wonderful story. Some beautiful turns of phrase and a lyrical use of language. '...it's my mum's hand and I don't ever want to let it go...' brings intense poignancy and summarises all of Luke's conflicting thoughts with a breathtaking economy. What a treat!”
Sharing the prize is Sharon Birch, from Aberfeldy, in Scotland, of whose story
She Forgot All about Mikey Fiona says: “This is a story that stays with you. To put this much into the confines of two thousand words is remarkable. It is such a convincing story it takes the reader into an unusual reality which is completely convincing disturbing and haunting. It recalls certain aspects of the great Patricia Highsmith's oeuvre which is unsurpassed in its eerie twists of reality. Well done.”


The writers on the shortlist were:
Kate Gilbert, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia (for two stories, Leap and The Flash)
Helen Meikle, South West Rocks, New South Wales, Australia
Leo Vardiashvilli, London, England
Clinton Bell, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Joe Kilgore, Austin, Texas, United States
Kamvana Wanyeki, London, England
Mike Watson, Darlington, England


Winning stories are posted on www.globalshortstories.net and there is plenty of time to enter the July competition via the site.

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