2018 Summer Competition Results

Summer Competition Results Announced (2018-11-10 16:36:36)

The judge Richard Palmer

Members of the Slough Writers group took on a challenging brief this summer when they were asked to write a short story from the viewpoint of an inanimate object. The results were announced on Monday 5th November.

• First and the SW Summer Competition Trophy: One Carrot Gold by Lorraine Forrest-Turner

• Second place: CFEF by William Campbell

• 3rd place: Eleanor's Engagement by Robert Kibble

There were two highly commended stories: The Lippinazer Glass by Carol Breuer and Dave and Mike by Julian Davidson

Photographed from left to right are: Carol Breuer, Lorraine Forrest-Turner, Richard Palmer, William Campbell and Robert Kibble (Julian Davidson could not attend the presentation).

The judge, poet and former English teacher Richard Palmer, said, "The competition produced some imaginative and daring writing. I was impressed with the way stories were constructed and the humanity shown in the way writers treated their characters. I also learnt a lot about Scottish history, quantum theory and the manufacture of fine Bohemian glassware!"

Richard continued, "The most successful stories, in my view, held most firmly in mind the fact that a tale was to be told... There had to be some kind of narrative drive... Another important consideration was the personality of the object. That personality should be coloured by the material or shape or function of the object, and the more successful stories did this, their objects exhibiting pride, a knowledge of art theory, empathy with a character wearing it."

(This report by Lorraine Forrest Turner, pictures by Michael Pearcy.)