Category: Writing

Stuff I wrote.

Cranked Anvil

August 19, 2022

I’m longlisted in the latest Cranked Anvil competition! (Update: I was eventually shortlisted but not placed)

I’ve also had a slightly puzzling email from the Moth, telling me my entry has not been successful. The only thing about that is, I entered twice, on different dates. Does that mean the other one is still in the running (and which was it?). Probably not, but it’s hard not to over-interpret. (Update: of course neither had progressed). There’s a certain competition that keeps sending me messages that look like rejections at first sight, but turn out to be about some other trivial thing. Ah well.

Poetry shock

May 23, 2022

My poem ’Under and After All’ was longlisted for the Fish poetry prize! This is gratifying and surprising, because I hardly ever write poems. In this case I had a short story that was clearly a bit too strange and avant garde – so I thought, I’ll pare it down, chop up the lines, and call it a poem. If I were to write a poem, it would normally rhyme and stuff. There’s now a terrible temptation to get my old, failed stories out and make them into weird blank verse.

It’s here if you’re interested.

Olga Sinclair

October 2, 2021

My story ’Song of the Charnel Square and the Vale of Voles’ (I was going through a phase of long titles when I wrote it) has been shortlisted for the Olga Sinclair prize! The winner will be announced at a gala event in Norwich on 2 November.

Update

I did not place, but had a pleasant evening with the Norwich writers and was presented with a certificate and pen as well as a copy of the anthology.