We are delighted to announce the stories that have made it through to the next round of the Felixstowe Book Festival’s short story competition 2016, on the theme of `Gateways.` But first, a few words from the judges:
“It was truly wonderful to sit and mull over the thirteen stories that had made our long-list, and we could see the merits in each of these stories. Some made us laugh, and some moved us. Those that made it through to the next stage all share a strength of writing and a mastery of language. But so did other stories that didn’t get through. What made the following six stand out was that they transported us to a different place, and spoke about an experience that took the reader on an emotional journey.” Ruth Dugdall.
“I was thrilled with the standard of stories this year, and it was very interesting to see the different ways in which the entrants interpreted ‘Gateways’. The choosing of the long and shortlist was interesting in that all three judges had picked them individually and without conferring, yet came up with a lot of the same picks, which goes to show that the finalists are truly deserving.” Jeanette Hewitt.
“It is always a privilege to read new work and I was struck by the range of good ideas in the stories in this competition. Short stories are all about craft – drawing your reader in early on, making them care about, or at least be interested in, the characters, creating a satisfying story shape and above all making every single word count. Our shortlisted entries show how powerful a short story can be.” Liz Ferretti
For those of you interested in the process, all three judges had put forward titles to the longlist, and this process was more collaborative, with the following stories being endorsed by all three.
So, without further ado, here are the six short-listed stories (in alphabetic order):
A6 DNR
HEROES OF MY HEART
OUR STARS
PAPA BOMBO
THE LUCKY ONES
SELF-ASSESSMENT
Congratulations to all of the authors of these stories (we haven’t named you, as at this stage the process is still anonymous). The next step is to announce our winner, and the two runners-up. This will be announced on here on June 20th. So watch this space!
And please make a note in your diary to join us for the reading of the three winning stories at the Bedtime Story event on June 26th at 7.30 (free, but ticketed.)
Ruth, Jeanette and Liz look forward to seeing you then!