2024 Past Times Prize Winners
The Anthology Edition
Many thanks again to all who sent a story for this year’s inaugural prize. We enjoyed being transported to the 1970s - the decade of my birth!
Congratulations to the six writers included in the anthology edition and especially to the winners of the top three prize spots. You can read them all below and if you enjoy them as much as we do please share and leave a comment letting the writer know!
First Place: The Summer of ’76 When I Wasn’t Quite a Man by Sally Curtis
We loved the sticky heat, the simmering adolescent sexual tension, and the sense of could’ve, should’ve, but in the end probably glad I didn’t, all of which is encompassed in that final line.
Second Place: Berkeley by Guihan Larsen
Great way to use a real life event and we loved how this momentous event is woven so deftly in to these girls every day lives and how the ending has a double layer of meaning.
Third Place: A Boy’s Guide to Leaving Home by Chris Cottom
Such a poignant story of first love ending and we loved the way setting it up as instructions heightened the emotion at the heart of it.
Shortlisted
These three stories are also brilliant and it was hard to choose our winners!
A Cheese and Pineapple Hedgehog by Christine Collinson
The Dark Side by Madeleine Armstrong
The Day the Streets Shook by Virginia Miranda
Open Submissions
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
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I hope to write with you and read your work soon!
With love,
Amanda