The priceless trophy has arrived from our secret, latter day Fabergé cup maker. The true, the one and only 2014 prize mug.
Category: Updates
A Long Way from Willesden
Virginia Gilbert’s A Long Way from Home starring James Fox, Brenda Fricker and Natalie Dormer opens at cinemas throughout the UK this December. Virginia is a previous winner of the Willesden Herald short story competition. We reported recently on the launch of her novel Travelling Companion.
The View from the Tower
The View from the Tower by Charles Lambert is now available for pre-order on Amazon UK and US. It has been described as ‘a literary and psychologically charged murder mystery that slowly cuts deep to the bone’ and is a prequel to Charles’s previous novel Any Human Face. (More)
Charles Lambert is the judge for this year’s Willesden short story competition.
Virginia Gilbert: debut novel launched
Actress Brenda Fricker with Virginia Gilbert at the launch of Virginia’s debut novel Travelling Companion at Dubray books, Grafton Street, Dublin, 12th September 2013. Writer and film director Virginia Gilbert’s story “Winter Lambing” took first prize in last year’s Willesden Herald international short story competition. You can read it in New Short Stories 6. Probably fair to blow a little trumpet or at least a party whistle for ourselves to celebrate the continuing success of our writers.
One week at a writing retreat in Wales
Thanks to LitCamp, the first prize this year now includes a writing retreat at a bookish guesthouse in Knighton/Tref-y-Clawdd, which is set amid “the lush, rolling countryside of the Welsh Marches”. It’s one week, half board, travel expenses not included. Write like demons.
Charles Lambert to judge Willesden 2014
We are delighted and honoured that the acclaimed writer, Charles Lambert, has agreed to be our judge for the 2013-14 international Willesden Herald short story prize.
“Born in England, Charles Lambert has been living in Italy since 1980. His début novel, Little Monsters, was published by Picador in March 2008 and his story The Scent of Cinnamon was selected as one of the O Henry Prize Stories 2007. … He now lives in Fondi, exactly halfway between Rome and Naples, a stone’s throw from what was once the Appian Way.” (guardian.co.uk)
Charles’ second novel “Any Human Face” was published by Picador in May 2010. Just this year, his agent made the following announcement: “The Blake Friedmann Literary Agency is pleased to announce two new deals with UK publishers for Charles Lambert. Angry Robot’s crime imprint, has acquired World English Language rights to two novels by Charles Lambert. The first to be published will be THE VIEW FROM THE TOWER, a gripping psychological thriller about friendship, love and betrayal, which begins with the killing of a high-level Italian civil servant when his wife is in a Rome hotel room with her lover, not far from the scene of the assassination. She must cut through the complex web of deceit that surrounds her in order to discover who is responsible.” (Charles Lambert – Wordpress).
You can see that only the highest standard of writing will suffice to set before this writers’ writer, also very much a readers’ writer. So you’d better round up those stray stories, throw a bucket of water over them and start schooling them if they are going to get anywhere in the annual Willesden story gala. Opening 1 August 2013.
Photo credit: Patrizia Casamirra
New Short Stories 7
Description The best new short stories of 2013, as submitted to the Willesden Herald international short story competition. This year we are transported to locations in Australia, Britain, Ireland, Italy and Nigeria as vividly as in a waking dream. Relationships within and around families are played out in dramatic scenes of crisis, social alienation, dark humour and ultimately compassion. All in the company of ten writers with effulgent and compelling narrative gifts.
Available from: Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
ISBN 978-0-9852133-1-2
Publisher Pretend Genius Press, 1 May 2013
Results of the international Willesden Herald short story competition 2013
Short List
All Its Little Sounds and Silences – by Barnaby Walsh
Bolt – by Thomas Morris
Dance Class – by SJ Bradley
Donor – by Nici West
The Gift – by Alistair Daniel
Hangman – by Angela Sherlock
Holidaying with the Megarrys – by Danielle McLaughlin
Last Payment – by Anna Lewis
Rip – by Merryn Glover
Round Fat Moon and Jingling Stars – by Marie Murphy
And the winning entry in the 8th international Willesden Herald short story competition 2013, as chosen by David Means is:
“Holidaying with the Megarrys” by Danielle McLaughlin.
Equal runners-up:
“All Its Little Sounds and Silences” by Barnaby Walsh
“Round Fat Moon and Jingling Stars” by Marie Murphy
Thanks to all who entered and to everyone who has supported the competition over the years, especially this year’s judge, David Means.
If you would like a masterclass in short story writing, David Means will be leading WordTheatre Writers’ Workshop & Retreat on July 5-July 12, 2013 in Edale, England.
The story so far
We are thrilled and honoured to announce that David Means has kindly agreed to be the judge for the eighth annual Willesden Herald international short story competition.
David Means’ stories have a diamond-like sharpness and clarity, in which we visit locations, society and climates as vividly as in a waking dream. I couldn’t point to Sault Ste Marie on the map but I feel I’ve been there. I’ve never hung onto a train but I sort of know what it’s like now. I’ve never lived in an apartment in New York or slept rough but…you get the picture? Writers, you have your work cut out for you.
Links
Wikipedia: David Means
The Spot by David Means review by James Lasdun in the Guardian
Interview with David Means in the New York Times
Short stories by David Means in The New Yorker
NY podcast: David Means reads Chef’s House by Raymond Carver
David Means’ author page at Faber and Faber
So intercept a story when it stops at traffic lights, shine its windscreen with a piece of tissue paper the size of a coin, run home, type it out and send it to us as soon as electronically possible. Or whatever your process is. Closing date: Friday, 21 December 2012.
New Short Stories 