Competition Results

Read Winning Stories HERE

Organiser’s Comments

Another quality selection of stories were entered into the 2024 competition: perhaps not so many as in previous years, but the potency of the work made up for that.

Entries were received from all around the World: Italy, Spain, Korea, the USA and Anglesey (it’s an island, it counts). Still no entry from Antarctica, I’m almost certain that the ice-breakers make it through for the 2025 contest.

A word of thanks to the members of Circle who were press-ganged volunteered enthusiastically to read bundles of entries as part of the initial sift. Their sterling efforts made the final judge’s job more difficult (if less time-consuming). Their efforts are greatly appreciated. 

A big thank-you to all the writers who took the time and effort to enter stories into the 2024 competition. There is a lot of bravery involved in entering a contest such as this and opening up your writing to be judged. If you weren’t successful this year (or even if you were!), please try again when the 2025 competition opens up in the summer. 

Our guest judge this year was Jessica Meade, a talented photographer, videographer and theatre director (watch for her name in the future). All her work focusses on narrative and storytelling, which makes her perfect as a judge for this contest. Her deliberations were slightly delayed by work on Shirley Valentine in Liverpool, but deliberate she has and the contest results – along with her wise words – are below. 

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Judges Report:

It was such a joy to read such an incredible selection of stories, each with such distinct voices and tones. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. It’s been a real journey to move through your worlds, built with such detail and nuance.  I was so struck by the breadth of talent within your works – it made my job almost impossible! What really captivated me was the shared consideration of humanity, all corners of it. Now more than ever I see a huge urgency to write about how we hurt, love, breathe and think, how things affect us and shape us irrevocably, the themes of grief and family particularly struck deep within me.

Thank you to all entrants, who I recognise have poured so much love and care into their work, you each have penned such joyful, painful, funny, emotional, uplifting (the list goes on) stories that will stay with me for a long time.

I feel very lucky to have spent the last few weeks living in your worlds. Your words make our world a better place.

1st – Body Of Water by  Lianne Warr

Body Of Water is a love letter to family and the natural world. The language used throughout is something of a dream, the way this writer looks at the natural world is something special, I wish only that we all looked at the Earth through this lens. This story grapples so intelligently, so carefully with grief. The story reads so fluidly, it moves through your brain and heart so seamlessly, almost like a beautiful Body Of Water… I often look to the world to see the memories of my life, of those gone from the physical world who live on in the stars, the sky, the sea.

2nd – The Bright Coin Shining by John Irving Clarke

We learn of how precious and fragile life is, and how important it is that we savour every single drop of it. This story is a true walk down memory lane. Stephen looks life in the eyes and works out what his place is within it. This story looks a lot at personal legacy, the legacy we step into and the legacy we leave behind, might it be protected to the extent that we wish?

3rd – Following My Nose by Helen Chambers

I love to read about women using their voice and being bold in their identity. “I am here to disturb them”, reads the story, it’s the second sentence. I like to see women disturb those who put us into boxes, who make choices on how valuable we are which are only based upon the way that we look. I too love food, and could almost smell these words – what a sensory journey! This story is about many things, but one thing I really enjoyed was observing women take back what is their own.

Highly Commended – He Must Come Down! by Alex Clissold-Jones

I thought this story presented a really intriguing perspective. I can’t imagine how lonely life must be for our protagonist. I think this story presents a really bespoke conversation, it safely explores the viewpoints of the many. I think this story felt powerful for many reasons but especially in its relationship to relevance.

Commended Stories – You Pay Your Taxes and You Take Your Chances by Denarii Peters

This one really surprised me – I didn’t expect that ending! I felt this to be a really intelligent look at the way the world appears to be moving. It felt especially relevant given we continue to grow more distrustful of our governments of recent.

Commended Stories – Ball Boy by Rob Molan

This struck a chord deep within me. How can you have it all, to barely remember it when you’re older? I felt hugely connected to this piece. Ball Boy has always looked out for those around him, on or off the pitch. He sees this as a lifelong responsibility as he becomes a carer in later life. This story is testament to memory, living life fully and being kind.

LINK TO READ ENTRIES WILL BE HERE SOON.

Organiser’s Report

It was quite disheartening to see how many entrants this year failed to read the rules and whose work had to be submitted to the void due to wild interpretations of words like ‘Unpublished’ or ‘Entries in English’ or ‘No identification of the poet’.

Happily, many, many talented entries passed the first hurdle and a good number of them survived the shortlisting to end up in the hands of our talented chief judge. As usual, the International part of the competition did very well, with Germany, Canada and South Africa being represented this time and quite a few poems taking full advantage of the 40 line limit (though the number of words PER line stretched credibility in one case). Common themes this year were revisited, with the usual contingent of ‘describing a painting’, ‘messy relationship’ and ‘reminiscing about the good old days’. We did though get some unique topics like ‘weird latin phrases’, ‘describing what kittens are doing’ and ‘plastic islands in the ocean’ but all poems regardless of theme gave insight and perspective into their deep ideas and encapsulated feelings – a tough skill to get right.

We want to thank every single person who entered, it is a brave thing to enter a competition like this or sending your work anywhere. All entries had merit but alas, only some can make it to the finish line when the standard is so good.

Chief Judge’s Report – Judith Railton

I love to be suffused by the variety of poetic ways in front of me now. The fresh rhythms playing on my mind. I read them all, come back to pick a line or two , out of each , that catch my attention.  There is often a story , yet I want to be taken somewhere else, to senses, to emotions, mystery, wanting more to be revealed. I want to be surprised by a poetic phrase to make me see the world differently.  I read them all aloud, several times. I find my favourites, the ones that I feel more deeply about,  and sift the words again and again. I’ve delighted in many imaginative similes and metaphors and all your voices. Congratulations to all the poems I’ve had the pleasure of , these are my choices.

1st

Let’s Walk The Sky – Gareth Culshaw

The most poetic of all the poems. Pared down, full of powerful evocations. Sweeping from ground to stars , encompassing vivid experiences of the natural world  into  moments in a relationship , on this one night.

2nd

 On the Outskirts of Town – Julia Stothard

Using the liminal edge of life and death this poem gave a structure to weave a gradually revealed and surprising narrator in a car ride with strangers.

3rd

Wedding Dress Shopping with My Mother – Sam Szanto

Tension, pressure, claustrophobia , coercion all encompassed finely into this shopping trip.

Catherine Fenerty Humour Prize

Watching the News – Bill Lythgoe

I enjoyed first the disparity of items seen and heard on the news, paired with the minutiae of every day life of the viewer. Each rhyming couplet is punchy and highlights this truth.

Highly Commended

The heartache expressed so vividly in everyday tasks demanded of a  woman by her disabled partner. Both embattled and scarred by life. In three line verses.

Commended

The Since Demolished Me – Samuel Prince

I enjoyed the narrator , a demolished building,  who talks of the rise and fall of its history. The layout of the poem like a skyscraper.

Six Inches – Alan J Carter

The poignancy of a young man’s death from a newspaper item, exploded backwards in time,  into what drug dependency did to him. Repeated ‘Yearning   ‘ emphasises his struggle. The cheerful rhyming line ends , ‘bidding/kidding, hills/chills’ sharpen the misery . The shape of the poem, like a memorial urn.

The Find – Ceinwen E Cariad Haydon

The everyday unkindnesses of a long relationship given life by objects found and collected.

Visits to my Grandfather’s Sisters in Dre-fach Felindre – Ceinwen E Cariad Haydon

I was drawn to the comforting arms of these welcoming women to the narrator , both as a child and a solace after divorce. The three grey heron at the end as totems lifted the poem to  a magic level.

You Are Sorry – Helen Kay

Grief expressed in the gift of flowers which grow old, rot and are recycled.

Organiser’s Report

2023 was another bumper year for the Southport Writers’ Circle short story competition. We received almost 200 entries, the vast majority of which were digital, from across the globe. Stories were submitted from exotic locations such as Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and (it says here) Barnoldswick. Again, we have been let down by Antarctica, from where we had no stories entered. Perhaps, one day, a carrier penguin will make it from the frozen South to Sunny Southport.

Everyone who entered should be proud of themselves, it takes a great deal of bravery to put creative endeavours under the scrutiny of judges. Many excellent stories could not find their way past our initial sifters: on another day, they would have found some success. Do not be disheartened, do not give up, there are other competitions, indeed other years and your work may yet be recognised.

There were a couple of entrants whose failed to follow the rules, and whose entries had to be excluded from the contest. A couple more failed to put sufficient postage on their envelopes, and only the Royal Mail are enjoying those stories. At least the winners we can share with you able to read the rules correctly.

I would like to extend an especial thanks to the members of the Circle who were volunteered to read the entries and select the best to go forward to our Chief Judge. Their diligence and dedication is to be commended. I hope that their therapy sessions will minimise the PTSD somewhat.

Our Chief Judge for 2023 was John Maguire, an actor, writer, director and tour guide – quite the man of many faces, really. His play “Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse” has been performed all over the country, and celebrates Catherine Wilkinson who improved public health in the Liverpool of the 1830’s. There is a statue in her honour in St. George’s Hall, where the play has been staged. He is also a great teller of tales, his “Liver Bird Safari” providing an excellent history of Liverpool’s famous avians and highlighting places – some unexpected – where they can be found.

Message from Pamela Gough, writer of the winning story

“Good evening, everyone. I would like to thank Southport Writers’ Circle for organising this competition and the awards evening – I know that a lot of work goes into making these things a success.  Many thanks to the readers, and especially the chief judge John Maguire, for selecting my story from all the entries. It is heartwarming to think that my writing has resonated with others.  Once again – thank you””Good evening, everyone. I would like to thank Southport Writers’ Circle for organising this competition and the awards evening – I know that a lot of work goes into making these things a success.  Many thanks to the readers, and especially the chief judge John Maguire, for selecting my story from all the entries. It is heartwarming to think that my writing has resonated with others.  Once again – thank you”

1st

A Good Kid?

Pamela Gough

2nd

The Right Prescription

Sue Hoffman

3rd

Heterochromia

Sue Hoffman

Commended

The Swimmer and the Queen by Natasha Derczynski

The Farmer’s Wife and Her Dimpled Thighs by Genevieve Flintham