• 2023 Margaret and Reg Turnill Prize Winner: Gloria Mesa for Rain Dance
• 2023 Senior Prize Winner: Keltie Zubko for The Last Teardown of Eleanor

The 2023 Anthology of “Motion” is available now on Amazon at:

• Buy “Motion” on Amazon (UK)
•  Buy “Motion” on Amazon (US)
• Elsewhere search on Amazon for “Motion Joyce”

We’re also delighted to announce the theme of the 2024 competition: The Fool. Make of it what you will!

The Award Ceremony was broadcast on our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/HGWellsShortStoryCompetition “live” and will be available to watch back until the end of 2023. The ceremony started with a presentation by Dr Paul March-Russell on Men Like Gods.

2022 Margaret and Reg Turnill Prize

• Radiyah Nouman reading from Away the Water Drains
• Yuen Tong Law reading from Cast Out of Heaven [reading live]
• Kantaphat Pinaree reading from Elegy for A Machine [reading live]
• Catherine Saunders reading from Figurehead
• Pritha Halder reading from Ladies’ Compartment [reading live]
• Thalia Peterson reading from Pareidolia
• Gloria Mesa reading from Rain Dance by Leyelle [reading live]
• Charlotte Moran reading from The Death of the Ticket Collector [reading live]
• Sarah-Kate Simons reading from The Matchmaker [reading live]
• Allison VanHuysen reading from The Resonance of the Zucchini [reading live]
• Tessa Shutter reading from When a car dies on a deserted road does it make a sound

2023 Senior Prize

• Kerry Ryan reading from A Parcel of Rogues [reading live]
• Steven Jackson reading from A Static Hero [reading live]
• Arthur Neong reading from A Walk in the Park [reading live]
• Jarick Weldon reading from Currents from Cabo Verde
• Katie Rizzo reading from Endless Horizon
• Mary Onions reading from Grounded [reading live]
• Mary Onions reading from Pilgrimage [reading live]
• Keltie Zubko reading from The Last Teardown of Eleanor
• Anna Linstrum reading from Untethered [Unable to read live]
• Ashia Mirza reading from Yahya’s Garden [reading live]

The post 2023 HG Wells Short Story Competition Winners and Awards appeared first on The HG Wells Short Story Competition.

The judges have selected the following stories for the 2023 shortlists (listed below in alphabetical story order only).

Shortlist for Junior Competition, The Margaret and Reg Turnill Prize of £1,000

Shortlist for the Senior Competition, The Grand Prize of £500

Many congratulations to the shortlisted writers. We look forward to meeting many of you at the online Awards Ceremony on Sunday 19th November 2023. Further details will be emailed to shortlisted authors soon.

The post HG Wells Competition Shortlists 2023 appeared first on The HG Wells Short Story Competition.

The workshops are led by Sarah Anthony, an experienced literature lecturer and teacher, and one of our judges for the 2023 HG Wells Short Story Competition.

Attendees are required to attend two sessions. In the first we will discuss methods of characterisation. You will then be given a short writing task to return within a week.

They will then be circulated to all the attendees and in the second session you will receive feedback from the tutor and through peer review. Participants will be limited to 10 per workshop.

The two workshops offer aspiring writers the opportunity to learn, write and share ideas online.

The workshops will be held via Zoom (booked attendees will be sent joining links a few days before the sessions). Each workshop comprises of two dates, and you should attend BOTH. There are workshops for two different age categories:

21 and under: Saturday 20th May 2-3pm AND Saturday 3rd June 2-3pm 

Over 21’s: Wednesday 17th May 7-8pm AND Wednesday 31st May 7-8pm

There will be a £10 FULLY REFUNDABLE booking fee for these courses. Over the last 2 years we have run these courses many people have booked, and then not attended, denying others the chance to take part. For this year, to book you have to pay a £10 booking fee. We will refund via PayPal the full £10 booking fee to all those that attend both sessions.

Book online via Eventbrite:

Workshop Tickets for 21 and under: Saturday 20th May 2-3pm AND Saturday 3rd June 2-3pm 

Workshop Tickets for Over 21’s: Wednesday 17th May 7-8pm AND Wednesday 31st May 7-8pm

About Sarah Anthony

Sarah Anthony graduated from Bristol University with a degree in English and French literature. Her MA with the Open University followed, specialising in postcolonial literature. She has worked for the School of English at the University of Kent, co-ordinating their part-time programmes in English and American literature and Creative Writing and acting as academic advisor to international students.

Sarah has 15 years’ experience lecturing and teaching university undergraduates and adult learners at the University of Kent, for the Workers’ Educational Association and for the U3A. She has taught on subjects as disparate as the plays of Christopher Marlowe and the writers of the Windrush Generation, and has taken part in a TV documentary on E M Forster for international arts and culture channel ARTE.  Current projects include the novels of John Steinbeck, the Bloomsbury Group, and 20th century Russian literature.

The post HG Wells 2023 Creative Writing Workshops: Characterisation appeared first on The HG Wells Short Story Competition.

The annual HG Wells Short Story Competition offers a £500 Senior and £1,000 Junior prize (* see footnote) and free publication of all shortlisted entries in a quality, professionally published paperback anthology (and Kindle version).

Entry to the Junior competition is FREE and entry to the Senior competition is £10 (£5 for those with student ID).

Previous years’ publications can be seen at http://www.trencavel.co.uk/St%20Ursin.html

The theme for this year’s competition is MOTION in its broadest interpretation.

There are two categories:

• Authors 21 years of age and under (on 10th July 2023) with a prize of £1,000. (Entry is free).
• Authors aged 22 years and above on 10th July 2023 with a prize of £500 (entry £10 or £5 with student id). Yes, the Junior Prize is higher than the “22 and over” Prize – see footnote for explanation!

Entry will be via online form only.

Dates for your diary:

• Monday 10th July 2023 (11pm BST) :  final date for entries
• Thursday 21st September 2023 : shortlists announced
• Sunday 19th November 2023 : Awards Ceremony

For further information contact hgwellscompetition@gmail.com.

You can ONLY enter online via our website.

* The £1,000 HG Wells Short Story Competition Junior Prize is funded by a legacy from our founder Reg Turnill at his specific instruction. The £500 “22 and over” prize was not part of that legacy, hence the different amounts. You can learn more in our FAQs.

The post HG Wells Short Story Competition 2023: Motion appeared first on The HG Wells Short Story Competition.