Hélène James was a writer, dancer, herbalist and homeopath. She was a vivid, humorous and generous friend and mother.  She died in 2010 and this  short story competition has been established to celebrate her life.

The deadline for the 2012 Competition  is 1st July 2012.

See Competition Rules and To Apply for further details.

 

THE WINNERS OF THE 2011 SHORT STORY COMPETITION

1st prize: Lynne Voyce, ‘Los Zapatos Rojos’

2nd prize (jointly): James Morgan, ‘Bertie’s Brain’

2nd prize (jointly): Annia Lekka, ‘The Unfolding’

3rd prize: S. Kingsland, ‘A Woman Scorned’

You can read the winning stories on this site. Click on 2011 Competition.

84 stories were submitted from around the world for this first year of the competition. The 2011 competition judges were published writers Robin Bloor, Karen Carmichael-Timson, Amanda Miles and Tracey Warr.

Robin Bloor said: “As a first-time judge I was not sure what to expect.  But I was not entirely surprised when individual judges – including me – quickly became ardent advocates of their own selections…There were some heated discussions, but a general consensus was reached at the end of the day, especially when it was decided to add a ‘Specially Commended’ category. This decision was forced on the panel by the consistent high standard of the entries and the hair’s breadth separation between different stories.”

Specially Commended certificates were awarded to:

Stephen Riddell (from Dumfries and Galloway) for ‘Escape’ ,

Ian Burton (from Bournemouth) for ‘Dining with Munroe’,

Kath MacKenzie (from Corby) for ‘Mr Tappy Toes’,

Vera Franklin (from Chichester) for ‘The Makeover’,

Sarah Helen Bennett from (Ascot) for ‘The Hedge’,

and Cherry Potts (from London) for ‘The What Else in the Water’.

Tracey Warr said: ‘It was a privilege to get to read so many good stories and have a snapshot of such a rich array of imagination and writing styles’.

We are grateful to University of Wales Trinity Saint David for their support of the prize-giving event.