Local Young Writer Prize

Thanks to the generosity of author Kerry Wilkinson, who has waived his fee for talking to our local Writers’ Collective (on Zoom!), we are able to offer an additional £50 for the best short story from a local entrant aged under 21 at the closing date, 31st May 2021. Please see ‘Rules’ if this applies to you.

Local Young Writer Prize

Thanks to the generosity of author Kerry Wilkinson, who has waived his fee for talking to our local Writers’ Collective (on Zoom!), we are able to offer an additional £50 for the best short story from a local entrant aged under 21 at the closing date, 31st May 2021. Please see ‘Rules’ if this applies to you.

News from one of our previous winners:

I thought you would like to know that one of Frome Festival’s previous winners has won The William Faulkner Literary Contest in New Albany, Mississippi. Apparently, I was the first UK winner to win the short story category since the competition was established in 1997. The story was called Piano Solo. 
Also, (competition successes are obviously like buses – nothing for ages then two at once) another short story of mine is on the shortlist for the HG Wells Short Story Competition. That story is called, The Last Flight of La Librairie d’Afrique du Nord. The results for that are out at the end of November. 
I have had some successes in the meantime. My novel My Beautiful Imperial was published at the end of 2017. It was translated into Spanish, entitled Mi Querido Imperial, in 2018.
A more recent novella called The Significance of Swans, came 2nd in the New Welsh Writing Awards in 2019.
I will always be grateful to Frome Festival for helping me on my way.
Best wishes, 
Rhiannon Lewis, Winner of the 2017 Short Story Competition with The Jugs Stay with the Dresser

News from a past winner: Rhiannon Lewis recently contacted us with news of her successes since winning the competition in 2017. The organisers and 2017 judge Laura Wilkinson were thrilled to hear of her achievements!

I thought you would like to know that one of Frome Festival’s previous winners has won The William Faulkner Literary Contest in New Albany, Mississippi. Apparently, I was the first UK winner to win the short story category since the competition was established in 1997. The story was called Piano Solo. 
Also, (competition successes are obviously like buses – nothing for ages then two at once) another short story of mine is on the shortlist for the HG Wells Short Story Competition. That story is called, The Last Flight of La Librairie d’Afrique du Nord. The results for that are out at the end of November. 
I have had some successes in the meantime. My novel My Beautiful Imperial was published at the end of 2017. It was translated into Spanish, entitled Mi Querido Imperial, in 2018.
A more recent novella called The Significance of Swans, came 2nd in the New Welsh Writing Awards in 2019.
I will always be grateful to Frome Festival for helping me on my way.
Best wishes, 
Rhiannon Lewis, Winner of the 2017 Short Story Competition with The Jugs Stay with the Dresser

News from a past winner

Writer Rhiannon Lewis recently contacted us with news of her successes since winning the competition in 2017. The organisers and 2017 judge Laura Wilkinson were thrilled to hear of her achievements!

I thought you would like to know that one of Frome Festival’s previous winners has won The William Faulkner Literary Contest in New Albany, Mississippi. Apparently, I was the first UK winner to win the short story category since the competition was established in 1997. The story was called Piano Solo. 
Also, (competition successes are obviously like buses – nothing for ages then two at once) another short story of mine is on the shortlist for the HG Wells Short Story Competition. That story is called, The Last Flight of La Librairie d’Afrique du Nord. The results for that are out at the end of November. 
I have had some successes in the meantime. My novel My Beautiful Imperial was published at the end of 2017. It was translated into Spanish, entitled Mi Querido Imperial, in 2018.
A more recent novella called The Significance of Swans, came 2nd in the New Welsh Writing Awards in 2019.
I will always be grateful to Frome Festival for helping me on my way.
Best wishes, 
Rhiannon Lewis, Winner of the 2017 Short Story Competition with The Jugs Stay with the Dresser

Best wishes, 
Rhiannon Lewis, Winner of the 2017 Short Story Competition with The Jugs Stay with the Dresser

The 2020 competition is open and our judge this year is author, journalist and broadcaster, Bel Mooney.

Long List 2019

Congratulations to the writers of these stories which have reached the long list.

1932 (The Bonus Army)

A Little ‘Me Time’

Amazing

Call me Elspeth

Crow

Dictator Perpetuo

Double Take

Far from the Poppy Fields

Fifty Dollars

Foetal Position

Is this the Fussen Train?

It’s a Trap

It’s Later than you Think

Long Way from Home

Murmuration

My Land, your Land

My Name’s Verity

On Brasenose Two

Outside

Plant a Tree in ’73

Podsnezhniki

Rootless

Silver Fish for Silver Coins

The Boxing Day Shout

The Chestnut Harvest

The Condor

The Fire-Breathing Dragon of Salford

The Textures of Life

Trapped in a Box

Visiting Time

Will you make Welshcakes?

Woman in a Chair

You were Warned

Your Move

Short Story Competition 2018

2018 Results!

Congratulations to our winners and shortlisted entrants. It was lovely to meet some of you at the prize-giving on July 15th

Julie Evans took first place for ‘The Artist’s Last Model’, William Hillier came second with ‘I am not Elena’ and Suzie Lockhart-Smith was third with ‘Colouring in’. Entries from James McPherson (‘March of the Wassenkinder’), Simon van der Velde (‘Vanishing’) and Josie Turner (‘Dilys’) were all highly commended.

The local prize went to Suzie Lockhart-Smith, with Jason Jackson as runner-up for ‘A Good Man’ and Caroline Mair highly commended for ‘Billy Boy’.

Sadly, guest judge Margaret Graham was unwell, but poet and writer Rosie Jackson stepped in to award the prizes and give her own and Margaret’s comments on the winners.

Many thanks to Frome Festival, Frome Library, our readers and  judges, and all who helped on the day.

Stories and photos to follow.