WINNING ENTRIES

AUTUMN 2024

Congratulations to the winners of our Autumn 2024 competitions and thanks to everyone who entered. Please click on the highlighted entries below to read them and add a comment at the end if you wish.

 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

THE INTERVIEW By Tony Warner

RUNNER-UP

JOHNNY IN AMBER By M.H. Rothery

Third place

20 YEARS OF SOLITUDE By Kevin Owen

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

THE BED By Charles Kitching

RUNNER-UP

EMPTY CUP OF LONELINESS  By Julian Cadman

Third place

I’M NOT SURE WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN ABOUT TEA By Hannah Retallick

POETRY

WINNER

CARNIVAL By Jo Riglar

RUNNER-UP

 FROM RATTLE TO RATTLE By Cindy Pereira

Third place

AUTUMN SNOW By Oghenegare Alama Uduophori

 

SUMMER 2024

Congratulations to the winners of our Summer 2024 competitions and thanks to everyone who entered. Please click on the highlighted entries below to read them. You can add a comment below the work if you want to give your view about them.

 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

ANSWERING THE CALL By Rob Molan

RUNNER-UP

CHERRY TREES By Amanda Hill

Third place

THE METHOD By Rebecca Hurst

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

 IT’S ALL BEEN ARRANGED By Taria Karillion

RUNNER-UP

BELINDA By Helen Roberts

Third place

JUST NATURE, THAT’S ALL By John K. Wilkins

POETRY

WINNER

FOUR AND ONE  By Cindy Pereira

RUNNER-UP

 LAST LOVE SONNET By Kevin Owen

Third place

LOOPS IN TIME By Matthew Shepherd

 

 

SPRING 2024

Congratulations to the winners of our Spring 2024 competitions and thanks to everyone who entered. Please click on the highlighted entries below to read them. You can add a comment below the work if you want to give your view about them.

We welcomed back our guest judge, author, Julian Anderson, to the selection process this season. 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

SEAGULLS AND SEASHELLS  By Denny Jace

RUNNER-UP

THE FIRST TIME By Colette Lynch

Third place

THE RAT SQUID OF CALAMARIS By Denarii Peters

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

UNMASKING THE TRUTH  By Julian Cadman

RUNNER-UP

THE OLD BOHEMIA  By Lynn Bushell

Third place

WET WEDNESDAYS By Duncan Gould

POETRY

WINNER

PLOT NIGHT  By Catherine Charlotte Murray

RUNNER-UP

THREE LITTLE WORDS  By Maggie Elliott

Third place

TAKE ME HOME By Cindy Pereira

WINTER 2023/24

Congratulations to the winners of our Winter 2023/24 competitions and thanks to everyone who entered. Please click on the highlighted entries below to read them. You can add a comment below the work if you want to give your view about them.

This season, our a guest judge, author, Julian Anderson, has been involved in the selection process. To read his thoughts about judging some of the winter intake, click HERE.

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

MELODY’S TUNE By Cindy Pereira

RUNNER-UP

THE SPIDER By Hannah Ross

Third place

REMEMBERING MAISIE  By Sinead Amirak

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

FLUFFY FURY  By Claire L. Marsh

RUNNER-UP

PERCHANCE TO DREAM   By Denarii Peters

Third place

BENEATH THE SURFACE  By Larissa Thomson

POETRY

WINNER

PREDELICTION TO DARKNESS  By Charles Kitching

RUNNER-UP

UNITS OF FORGETTING  By Amit Shakar Saha

Third place

THE ENGLISH REFUGEE  By Simon Beechinor

 

AUTUMN 2023

Congratulations to the winners of our Autumn 2023 competitions. Please click on the highlighted entries to read them. You can add a comment afterwards if you want to share your thoughts. 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

KIRSTIN EXPECTS  By Yvonne Birch

RUNNER-UP

AUTHENTICITY  By Rob Molan

Third place

AN ACCIDENT  By Holly-Mae Hancock

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

THE MAN WHO CAME TO BUY CATTLE  By Ann Rhodes

RUNNER-UP

THE TREE   By David Joseph

Third place

None awarded

POETRY

WINNER

FEAST By Rosie Arcane

RUNNER-UP

LAST LEGS  By William Bean

Third place

WHO’S NEXT?  By Stuart Byles

SUMMER 2023

Congratulations to the winners of our summer competitions. Please click on the highlighted entries to read them. You can add a comment afterwards if you want to share your thoughts. 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

The Nine Lives of Billy Nightjar   by Tony Kirwood

RUNNER-UP

What Goes Around   by M.H.Rothery

Third place

His Story  by Tom Quilter

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

Daydreamers Anonymous  by Nikki Davison

RUNNER-UP

My Name is Blue   by Gail Warrick Cox

Third place

The  Sweetness of Plums by Larissa Thomson

POETRY

WINNER

The  Tree is Still There  by Sam Hendrian

RUNNER-UP

Feast  by Lorna Meehan

Third place

Huo Guo  by Julia Ongking

 

 

SPRING 2023

Congratulations to the winners of our spring competitions. Please click on the highlighted entries to read them. You can add a comment afterwards if you want to share your thoughts. 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

Pulse   by J.F.Dangarembizi

RUNNER-UP

A Long-Awaited Visit to the Square Delight  by Taria Karillion

THIRD PLACE

The Deal   by Michael Thompson

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

In Loving Memory    by Helen Lawrence

RUNNER-UP

A Beachcomber’s Tale   by Mairead Robinson

THIRD PLACE

A Woman of Virtue  by Ruth Fabby

POETRY

WINNER

The Unfinished Letter   by Nick Dring

RUNNER-UP

When   by John Watts

THIRD PLACE

Camden in May   by Abi Turner

WINTER 2022/23

Congratulations to the winners of our winter competitions. Please click on the highlighted entries to read them. You can add a comment afterwards if you want to share your thoughts. 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

Find Me Here  by Holly Hamp

RUNNER-UP

Where the Snowdrops Grow   by Julia Wood

THIRD PLACE

Time of the Signs by M.H. Rothery

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

Liber Vetus   by  Harriet Watson

RUNNER-UP

You Bet Your Life!   by Gail Warrick-Cox

THIRD PLACE

Lucky Escape by T.E. Samad

POETRY

WINNER

Oueuf    by Fiona Dignan

RUNNER-UP

Cheshire Farm    by Jennifer Phillips

THIRD PLACE

Warning Song of the Merfolk    By Heather Haig 

AUTUMN 2022

Congratulations to the winners of our autumn competitions. Please click on the highlighted entries to read them. You can add a comment afterwards if you want to share your thoughts. 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

A Basket of Peonies  by Denarii Peters

RUNNER-UP

Where I Belong   by Gemma Hudson

THIRD PLACE

Karma  by Zana Bonafe

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

It’s Collection Day   by  Lorraine Collins

RUNNER-UP

Maisie, a large Johnnie Walker and the Good Times Hotel   by Maggie Sinclair

THIRD PLACE

The Reclining Buddha    by  Kez Wilkins

POETRY

WINNER

Waves Awake    by Daniel Moreschi

RUNNER-UP

Out of Pain    by Pauline Marie Santos

THIRD PLACE

Life as a pickled gherkin    By Bev Aitcheson

 

SUMMER 2022

Congratulations to the winners of our summer competitions. Please click on the highlighted entries to read them. You can add a comment afterwards if you want to share your thoughts. 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

The Bloodhead Trail   by Elaine Rockett

RUNNER-UP

Confessions of a Clockwalker by Lucia Kali

 THIRD PLACE

Social Shade by James Dwyer

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

Baby Love   by Ellen Evers

RUNNER-UP

Jackson Creek by Gail Warrick Cox

THIRD PLACE

Okay teacher! by David Oluwatimilehin

POETRY

WINNER

Ode to Affliction   by Aisling McEvoy

RUNNER-UP

The Littlest Witch by Dawn Rae

THIRD PLACE

Silence by Emily Raisin

SPRING 2022

Congratulations to the winners of our Spring competitions. Please click on the highlighted entries to read them. You can add a comment afterwards if you want to share your thoughts. 

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

Show Me Where It Hurts   by Adam Lock

RUNNER-UP

Just a Few Seconds    by Isobel Copley

 THIRD PLACE

The Life It Once Held   by Marcelle Creak

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

The Proposal   by Anna Ross

RUNNER-UP

The Releasing   by Fiona Ritchie Walker

THIRD PLACE

Second-Best Husband   by Chris Cottom

POETRY

WINNER

Full Moon   by Junia Dia

RUNNER-UP

Counterpoint   by B.C. Burnett

THIRD PLACE

Jasmine  by Stephen Kingsnorth

 

WINTER 2021-22

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

GAMBLES AND BALANCES   by Bruce Harris

RUNNER-UP

All The Things You Aren’t   by Martin Phillips

THIRD PLACE

Sharp is the Thorn  by Rachel Bedding

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

PAREIDOLIA    by Rowan Evans

RUNNER-UP

Gap Year    by Emma J. Myatt

THIRD PLACE

Dissonance  by Darren Whitehouse

 

POETRY

WINNER

ENLIGHTENED CREATURES    by Rachel Swabey

RUNNER-UP

Moon/ Moon’s Reply   by Jeff Gallagher 

THIRD PLACE

After You Encounter Loss, You Realise  by Guilherme Levy Costa Cruz

AUTUMN 2021

SHORT FICTION

WINNER

Christmas Bizarre  by H.B. O’Neill

RUNNER-UP

John Henry’s Fiddle by Norman Thomson

THIRD PLACE

The Boot

by Chris Kok

FLASH FICTION

WINNER

Gavin’s Thing by Susannah Cherry

RUNNER-UP

Virginia Woolf’s Reflection by Frances Valdes

THIRD PLACE

Doomsayer

By R.F. Marazas

 

POETRY

WINNER

RAGNAROK by Abi Turner

RUNNER-UP

Hope by Jessica Bath

THIRD PLACE

The Black Sabbath of the Carbons

By Kathy Tierney