Mary O’Shea – New Short Stories

Maggie Gee’s comments on New Short Stories 5 (video)

Frankly, we’re sharing some past glories here to encourage writers to submit and entrust us with their short stories for New Short Stories 11. (Submit)

Distinguished author Maggie Gee was the judge for the Willesden international short story prize in 2011. We were honoured when she came to our results event in the Willesden library centre events studio to announce her verdict. Maggie was also generous with her comments, referring to each of the stories in turn before revealing the winner.

And if you’ve reached the end of that video and want to see what happened next, here’s the answer. The charming Mary O’Shea, all the way from Cork for the night, graciously accepts her first prize award.

“Out of Season” by Mary O’Shea is included in Willesden Herald: New Short Stories 5. Maggie Gee’s latest novel is “Blood” (Amazon.co.uk, Waterstones etc.).

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.

Continue reading “The story so far”

Willesden Herald: New Short Stories 6

“Half” by Nick Holdstock
“Curtains” by Charles Lambert
“In the Service of the Demon” by Jo Barker Scott
“Frost Heave” by Geraldine Mills
“Winter Lambing” by Virginia Gilbert
“Slimebank Taxonomy” by Eliza Robertson
“The Coastal Shelf” by Dermot Duffy
“Relativity” by Mary O’Shea
“Clingfilm” by Francis Scappaticci
“Artist” by Y.J. Zhu

The best of the Willesden Herald international new short stories competition 2012, bringing you stories are set as far afield as Canada, China, Iran as well as Britain and Ireland.

Available from:

isbn: 978-0977852666

Contributors (2012)

Willesden Herald: New Short Stories 5

“Apartment” by Y.J. Zhu
“Blue Raincoat” by Teresa Stenson
“Dancing with the Flag Man” by Nemone Thornes
“Gusul” by Adnan Mahmutovic
“Homecoming” by Alex Barr
“Out of Season” by Mary O’Shea
“Overnight Miracles” by A.J. Ashworth
“Set Dance” by Angela Sherlock
“The Bedroom” by Micheal Coleman
“The Place” by David Frankel
“Thingummy Wotsit” by Adrian Sells
“Victor” by Emma Martin

‘Every human type and taste is here – sad, funny, fresh, sharp, gripping, sour and sweet – delicious small mysteries that suddenly reveal their secret hearts.’ (Maggie Gee)

The best of the Willesden Herald international short story prize 2011. Twelve new stories set as far afield as China and New Zealand, Sweden and the US as well as several from Britain and Ireland.