Several hundred entries pouring in from around the world kept our expert judges busy. We want to thank this community for your patience, and are pleased to announce that the winning stories for the "The Story I Needed to Have Read" writing competition have now been selected! A huge congratulations to the winners and finalists, and also to every writer who participated: Selected or not, we greatly appreciate you sharing your most important stories with us.
First Place: Lake Fly by Kate Preece
"Good, tight piece of writing. It's not easy to get dialogue right and she has done a great job. Mature formulation of thought, restrained, compelling, complex, evocative." Nikita Gill, competition judge.
Second Place: Janda's Tale by Peter Gaskell
"It was full of drama, inspirational, and left me wanting to hear more. We need more Jandas to come forward and write their stories." Silva Mcleod, competition judge.
Runner-Up: This is Your Grief by Jess Cary
"It put me there in the hospital room. It brought tears to my eyes and I just wanted to join the nursing staff and give this poor woman a hug. The author has included a contemporary surrounding which heightens the awareness of anyone who has encountered, not only the clinical location but also the rush of uncertainty a situation such as this can trigger. I truly enjoyed this extract and it left me wanting to read more." Joel Fulton, competition judge.
Runner-Up: Voice by Xaria Amorooso
Runner-Up: The Story I Needed to Have Read by Claire Gao
Follow the links above to read the selected stories, and keep your eyes on our social media and newsletter for the announcement of our next competition.
