Well the People’s Prize voting has been nail-biting this month! So close between 3 stories all the way through and in the end, two stories ended up with the same number of votes so are joint winners. The other story that was a hot contender was just 2 votes behind!
For the second month in a row, the judging team has also chosen the People’s Prize winner as second prize winner!
Congratulations to our winners and well done to everyone who made the shortlist. All of your stories got lots of votes too and it’s so hard at this stage to pick winners.
Shortlist
- Aran Wings by Alva Holland
- Common Prayer by Robert Marmeaux
- Five Gods I Worship in a Tiny Shrine Hidden Right at the Top of My Secret Garden by Jan Kaneen
- Into the Woods by Rachel Rivett
- Return by Julia Ruth Smith
- Snog, Marry, Curse by Joanne Key
- The First Letter of Gnome is Silent by Anne Soilleux
- The Hanging Tree by David Osgood
- Trophy by Hilary Ayshford
- What the Small Ones Know by Marie Little
First Prize Winner: What the Small Ones Know by Marie Little
Why we chose it: We love this take on the theme and the opening line is lovely, lyrical. Really nice surreal and mystical feel to it and the ambiguity of who the narrator is gives it a sinister edge.
Second Prize and Joint People’s Prize Winner: Five Gods I Worship in a Tiny Shrine Hidden Right at the Top of My Secret Garden by Jan Kaneen
Why we chose it: We were really impressed with the way the disparate elements in the photos were woven in so naturally and the final line has great emotional impact.
Joint People’s Prize Winner: Snog, Marry, Curse by Joanne Key
We didn’t choose this – you did! But it’s a great, dark story that leaves you wondering what, or who, is next.
Congratulations everyone! And we’d like to give a special mention to Aran Wings by Alva Holland as it was so close to being a winner in the People’s Prize vote!
We’ll be back with the November contest on Monday 1st and that will be the last one for 2021 as we have December off. But don’t forget the deadline of the annual RW Prize is on Sunday 31st October – send us your short stories, flash fictions and micro fictions to win cash and paperback anthology publication! See all the info here.