2024 Past Times Prize Shortlist
The stories being published are...
Many thanks again to everyone who sent a 1970s inspired story for this and well done to all who made the longlist. We now have our shortlist of 6 stories that will be published in the anthology edition. The winners of the top 3 prizes will be announced when we publish the stories.
Reading is anonymous so please don’t announce the title of yours online if it is shown here!
Shortlisted Stories
A Boy’s Guide to Leaving Home, 1972
A Cheese and Pineapple Hedgehog
Berkeley
The Dark Side
The Day the Streets Shook
The Summer of ’76 When I Wasn’t Quite a Man
Open Submissions
Tomorrow is the deadline for sending your festive stories for the Christmas Countdown in December! Quick!
Submissions are open ongoing for our new feature spots: the weekly Story Sunday for stories up to 1000 words; the monthly Short Story Spotlight for stories up to 5,000 words with author interview; and Flash Focus for stories up to 750 words that will publish twice a month and include an author interview too.
The deadline for the 1000 Word Photo Competition is 31st December. All info here.
Send us your light-filled stories!
This is the final category in the 2024 WestWord Prize. The competition has been revamped for 2025. Get all the info on that here.
Deadline: 30th November 2024
Max word count: 2500
Entry fee: £12 submission only / £40 with feedback
Online anthology publication: January 2025
Theme: Light
PRIZES:
1st: £250
2nd: £150
3rd: £75
Shortlisted: £20
Judge: Nod Ghosh
Nod Ghosh is the author of The Two-Tailed Snake, which publishing with Fairlight Books in September 2023. Nod was born in Birmingham, UK, and currently lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she works as a medical laboratory scientist specialising in the diagnosis of cancers. Her short stories and flash fiction have been widely published in journals and anthologies, and her work has been listed for awards including the Bath Novella-in-Flash Award and the New Zealand National Flash Fiction Day competition. She has had four previous novellas published: The Crazed Wind (2018), Filthy Sucre (2020), Toy Train (2021) and Throw a Seven (2023).
Join me for a workshop
Each month, I run a Zoom workshop about short fiction writing. Included with the WestWord membership or just pay to come along to whichever ones you fancy. Due to a family member being critically ill in hospital, I had to postpone the September workshop. I have now rescheduled it for December.
Schedule
Creating Complex Characters in Short Stories / 30th November - 11.00-13.00 GMT
Weaving Sensuous Spells / 07th December - 11.00 - 12.00
All info and booking links here:
Come to a writing retreat
I am hosting and teaching a Short Story Writing Retreat in November in Devon, UK. There are two rooms left and there is 10% discount available as today is the last day to book. Get all the info here and use the discount code RETREAT-10 at checkout.
Become a member of WestWord
Get submissions, workshops and lots of great craft posts to help you develop your writing. You can access the full archive of workshops and posts, as well as get all the new ones to help make your short fiction writing shine. See what’s included here.
Memberships start at just £6 a month.
I hope to write with you and read your work soon!
With love,
Amanda