The HWA and the Dorothy Dunnett Society are delighted to announce the shortlist and winner for the 2021 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition! Six stories were shortlisted and the winner and highly commended entries were selected from these.
Winner
His Mother’s Quilt by Naomi Kelsey
A gothic gem. A woman trapped in bed fights the ghosts that surround her. Tense, delicate writing. Lace woven with steel threads.
Highly Commended
Her Own Kind by Fiona Whyte
A story of sacrifice and loss, told with a gentle touch and vivid characterisations.
The Sister Time Forgot by Rachel Blackmore
A fresh narrative construction and liquid prose bring a Tudor Princess vividly to life.
Also shortlisted
Twelve Years to Grow Before Dark by Hazel Turner
A great voice and superb nature writing combine in elegant simplicity.
Guard of Honour by Liz Kershaw
Perfect writing and sharply observed characterisations as one man makes a choice.
The Fortune Teller by Helen Cannam
A bright and sprightly story which darkens as it unfurls through a summer’s day.
Congratulations to all six authors! Their stories will be published as a paperback anthology in time for the HWA awards celebration on 24 November, 2021.
Imogen Robertson, chair of the HWA, says: “We are so looking forward to gathering these fantastic short stories together in this year’s anthology. Once again the competition shows how much writing talent is out there, and the joys, resonances, and range of storytelling opportunities to be found in history.”
Betty Moxon, the Dorothy Dunnett Society’s chair, says: “It is a joy to read these stories, and it is fitting to celebrate this quality of writing in Dorothy Dunnett’s name. Many thanks to the judges who have worked hard to select the winners from a very strong field.”
Many thanks to our final round judges: Janet Angelini, Matt Casbourne, Katherine Clements and Norah Perkins.
Historia will publish Naomi Kelsey’s story, His Mother’s Quilt, shortly after it appears in the Dorothy Dunnett Society‘s quarterly magazine, Whispering Gallery.
And if you’d like to read the winning short stories from previous years, here they are:
2021: The Race by Alice Fowler
2020: The Daisy Fisher by Kate Jewell
2019: Nineteen Above Discovery by Jennifer Falkner
2018: A Poppy Against the Sky by Annie Whitehead
See all the longlisted stories for the 2021 HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition.
