Latest winners
16-18 category
1st Prize: Unwelcome Visitors, Lucy Bingham
Unwelcome Visitors met with universal approval from the jury and was a clear favourite from the very beginning of the discussion. Michael Morpurgo felt the story was "imaginative, charming and clever" while Boyd Tonkin observed that on creative writing courses you are often asked to imagine someone unlike yourself and "you cant get much more unlike yourself than a tortoise".
On winning Lucy said "I'm so thrilled to have won. I really enjoyed writing this story and it was great to have such positive feedback from the judges. This is a fantastic story-writing opportunity for students like me. I can't wait to visit Paris!"
Download 'Unwelcome Visitors' here
2nd Prize: La Salle Pleyel, Jennifer Metcalfe
Joyce Quin was particularly intrigued by this tale which she found was still in her mind after she had read it. Boyd Tonkin pointed out that this was a "nicely controlled" piece of writing and that it was hard to imagine memories of someone looking back after a lifetime". Michael Morpurgo felt that La Salle Pleyel was "ambitious in its construction".
"Thank you very much! I'm delighted to have placed in the competition. I really enjoyed writing La Salle Pleyel, as it allowed me to combine my loves in life; history, music, writing and of course France. I would like to thank all the judges for their comments and support, and I would encourage anyone to enter the competition next year".
Download 'La Salle Pleyel' here
3rd Prize: Monsieur Aries, Jim McGovern
This was a particular favourite of Joyce Quin who found the story charming. It was commented that this story was, of all the stories, the most controlled in what it was trying to do.
Download 'Monsieur Aries' here
Special mention: Swansdown, Natasha Baily
Michael Morpurgo described Swansdown as "full of pertinent detail, really interesting and you wanted to go on reading it". Baroness Quin felt the story "described the confusion of a very difficult time very well".
"Though I didn't place, I'm very happy indeed to have been selected for a special mention - it has meant so much to me that others liked Swansdown and the feedback I received from the judges has definitely encouraged me to keep on writing! I'd recommend the competition to anyone who loves to write - it's given me so much more confidence in my writing and I hope it will do the same for next year's entrants".
Download 'Swansdown' here
19-25 category
1st Prize: Emile Nelligan est Mort, Iona Carmichael
Boyd Tonkin remarked that this story had "an excellent opening, good tone and a good rhythmic pace to the sentences"
Download 'Emile Nelligan est Mort' here
2nd Prize: Platform, Eley Williams
Michael Morpurgo described this story as "witty and refreshing". He felt for all the characters and "wanted to read it again".
"Thank you so much for the good news! Coming second in this competition is such an encouragement for my writing, it seems peculiar in Britain that despite interested readers and committed writers, there are very few opportunities for the short-story to be aired in print (or screen) in respected journals- to see organisations like the Franco-British Council and publications such as Prospect providing the incitement to write in this form is a real boon. All in all, it's put a real spring in my step".
Download 'Platform' here
3rd Prize: The Art of Surprise, James Gheerbrant
Boyd Tonkin was particularly impressed by the dialogue in this story.
"Thank you very much. I'm absolutely delighted and very surprised to be successful. I entered the competition because first, the short story is personally one of my favourite literary forms, and I sometimes feel an under-appreciated one; and secondly, language students aren't really encouraged to do a lot of original or creative writing and I just really enjoyed what has become a rare opportunity".
Download 'The Art of Surprise' here