The Historical Writers’ Association / Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition 2018

Press release:

Surprise Double Win for Canadian Short Story Writer Jennifer Falkner

The judges of the 2018 Competition were astonished to discover they had awarded first and second place in the 2018 Historical Writers’ Association / Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition to the same writer, Jennifer Falkner of Ottawa, Canada, who took first place for Nineteen Above Discovery, a beautifully crafted, brooding story set in a remote cabin the depths of winter, and second place for Experiential Does It, which plunged the reader into the household of Dickens’s Mr Micawber as seen through the eyes of his new maid.

‘Every story on the longlist was excellent,’ said judge and chair of the HWA, Imogen Robertson, ‘but we were all in agreement these two stories were the best of the best. We were amazed to find they were written by the same person when the judging was was complete.’

Third place in the competition goes to A Cat For Constantinople by Bella D’Arcy, a highly entertaining and richly imagined tale of the man sent by Queen Elizabeth I to take a black cat as a gift to the Sultana. Fourth place was awarded to The Puppets of Erich Honecker by A. V. Bruce, a tightly focussed study of an individual facing the power of the state in the GDR. Two other stories were shortlisted: Touching the Honey Slow River by John Clarke, and Pastries from Ziemianska by Julie Pricilla Williams.

Jennifer Falkner said of her win: ‘I am genuinely surprised and delighted to have received this double win. Thank you to all the judges and everyone at the HWA and the Dorothy Dunnett Society for holding this contest. Writing can be a solitary pursuit and filled with rejection but it is tremendously encouraging to writers like me to receive this kind of encouragement. It’s a reminder that the real goal is to connect with readers and I am grateful for the knowledge that I have done that.’

Bella D’Arcy Reed, writer of A Cat for Constantinople said: ‘I am thrilled my story has been placed third, this is so encouraging for my first historical novel which is almost finished. My ambition is to win!’

AV Bruce said of her story: ‘The Puppets of Erich Honecker is a tribute to the stories I heard when I lived in Dresden in the 90s of civil courage shown by ordinary people in the GDR. I am thrilled that it has won a prize in the HWA / Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition.’

Betty Moxon of the Dorothy Dunnett Society added: ‘For the second year running the partnership between the Dorothy Dunnett Society and the Historical Writers Association has resulted in a great competition that has uncovered some amazing writers. Dorothy Dunnett, who famously started writing because she had run out of good historical novels to read, would have been delighted by the winning stories, and the skill and talent of the authors.’

Jennifer will receive the first prize of £500 along with copies of the new editions of Dorothy Dunnett’s famous novels as well as mentoring from the judges. The other prize winners will also receive mentoring and Lady Dunnett’s books. The judges would like to congratulate all the longlisted and shortlisted authors whose work took us across the centuries and around the world, proving again how the past, in the hands of strong and sympathetic writers, continues to have a remarkable storytelling future.

The winning story, Nineteen Above Discovery, is published in Historia and in The Whispering Gallery, Journal of the Dorothy Dunnett Society.

The long listed stories were:

Bella D’Arcy Reed: A CAT FOR CONSTANTINOPLE

Christopher John Ruddle: ALL ABOUT THE COIN

Dee La Vardera: DAFFODILS

Philippa Stockley: DAYTRIP TO GIVERNY

Jennifer Falkner: EXPERIENTIAL DOES IT

Avril Joy FLOOD

Naomi Kelsey: GERTRUDE THE GREAT

Clare Girvan: HYLAS

Elisabeth Lenckos: NEEDLE THROUGH FABRIC

Jennifer Falkner: NINETEEN ABOVE DISCOVERY