It gives us great pleasure to announce the winning and shortlisted stories in the 2025 Historical Writers’ Association (HWA) Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition. The winning story in the 2025 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition The winner of the 2025 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition: Final Score by Sean LuskThe judges say: “A […]
The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition longlist for 2025
We’re delighted to announce the longlist for the 2025 Historical Writers’ Association (HWA) Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition: 25 impressive pieces of historical short fiction which go through to the next round of judging. Congratulations to all the longlisted authors! The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition 2025 longlist: Iko of Benin, King’s Diver by […]
St Kilda Bird Song by KF MacCarthy (the 2024 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story winner)
St Kilda Bird Song by KF MacCarthy won the 2024 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition. Our judges said: “A magical and immersive story of a late 19th-century teacher on the remote island, told from diverse perspectives with fluency and confidence. A very special piece of writing about a remarkable place.” The 2025 Short Story […]
The 2024 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition shortlist and winner
Here are the shortlisted and winning stories in the 2024 Historical Writers’ Association (HWA) Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition. The 2024 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition shortlist Three short stories are shortlisted for this year’s competition: Mother’s Fury by Laura Karim Our judges called this story “a taught slice of violence and revenge at […]
The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition 2024 longlist
We’re delighted to announce the longlist for the 2024 Historical Writers’ Association (HWA) Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition: 25 impressive pieces of historical short fiction which go through to the next round of judging. Congratulations to all the longlisted authors! The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition 2024 longlist: Friends by Erika Banerji Forgotten by […]
Hecate’s Daughter by Jo Tiddy (the 2023 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story winner)
Jo Tiddy’s story, Hecate’s Daughter, won the 2023 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition. “A clever story, written deftly and colourfully, showing the cruelty and ignorance (and small kindnesses) of the period,” the judges said. “[We] adored this original and subversive take on a well-worn tale, told in such a vivid and powerful voice that […]
The Race by Alice Fowler (the 2020 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story winner)
We’re delighted to publish The Race by Alice Fowler, the winner of the Historical Writers’ Association Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Prize for 2020. The judges praised the “sheer brilliance” of the premise and her “mastery” in “building atmosphere that tracks with the story’s mounting tension”. We hope you enjoy it, too. And the 2021 HWA/DD […]
The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition for 2019: the winner
The Historical Writers’ Association is delighted to announce the results of the HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition for 2019. Winner: Kate Jewell: The Daisy Fisher Highly commended: Cathy De’Freitas: The Queen’s Jewel Joanna Dodd: Cissy Mullins Shortlisted: Liz Kershaw: Finding a Way Home Julie Evans: Lancashire Census of 1881 Monique Hayes: Mileage Longlisted: Emily […]