We had 100 entries so first prize is £150 and second prize is £100, with the people’s prize to be decided. Thanks so much to everyone who sent us their words. We enjoyed reading them all. Well done to our longlist below. No telling which is yours though! The shortlist will be published on Monday.
Longlisted Stories
- Anatomy for Astrologers
- Coins Are the Most Commonly Swallowed Objects
- Each Autumn I Face a Dilemma Over a Pair of Gloves
- Energy Saving is Added to the Curriculum
- Freedom Day
- I polished all our shoes on Saturday evenings
- is there no relapse of time one gives to symbolism
- Father
- Levelling Up
- Monster Truck
- Moonlight on the Thames
- Moonshine Confessional
- Night Light
- One for Sorrow
- Seeing is Believing
- Shards Sharp as Diamonds
- The day you polished Daddy’s boots and made them shine
- The Gifts of the Magi
- The journey of motherhood mapped out by shiny things
- The Perfect Cube
- The Person Standing Next to Me in the Vegetable Aisle is Jesus
- The Shining
- This end of the street
- When the Lovely Assistant jumped the box
- When the Penny Drops
Good luck everyone! We’ll have the shortlist on Monday.