On a wet and windy night last week I attended the Bedford International Writing Competition winners announcement evening at the lovely Quarry Theatre. Congratulations go to winner Torshia Seales whose short story The Longest Rope was a moving and evocative tale of loss, love, and freedom. Judge Eleanor Dryden g
ave a wonderful speech on the importance of short stories and the incredible talent she’d seen displayed in all the entries. For a shortlister who didn’t quite make it to the top three, it was great to hear these words of encouragement and support from someone so experienced and knowledgeable in the publishing trade. Other prizes up for grabs were for poetry, short story in the 17-30 age group and local Bedford prizes. Two charities, SMART, and Schoolreaders, which helps to improve childhood literacy, also benefitted from some of the competition entry fees.
It was a great evening and if you’ve ever been shortlisted you’ll know what that buzz feels like! This year’s competition opens on May 1st– so if you’re reading this, absolutely go for it! I will!
Jacci Gooding, Author 
You must be logged in to post a comment.