Category Archives: Short Stories

Bridport Prize 2012

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I’m delighted to announce that one of my short stories won a ‘Highly Commended’ award for the Bridport Prize, 2012. It is a great honour, the competition is one of the most highly regarded in the UK – and worldwide. There were over 6000 entries for the short story section alone.

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I attended the award ceremony and champagne lunch which was held at the Bridport Arts Centre on Sunday 14th October. The judge for the short story section of the prize was the wonderful writer Patrick Gale.

I had known Patrick in the 80’s – we both worked in the world’s worst restaurant in Covent Garden (it had a short life, it’s now no longer I’m happy to say). It was wonderful to see Patrick again, I’d been following his progress over the years and enjoying his novels. I hasten to add that the stories for the competition were read anonymously, and that there were no restrictions in the fine print about knowing the judge. ( I did in fact, decide NOT to submit a certain story that Patrick might have gleaned who the author was, set in that awful restaurant).

It was also lovely to meet some of the other award winners, and to wander around the very pretty village. I also went to my first Quaker Meeting on Sunday morning prior to the award ceremony, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Cork Short Story Festival and Other Bits and Pieces

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The Cork International Short Story Festival is coming soon — 19-23 September,  2012 – with some wonderful authors giving readings and workshops: Short Stories for Beginners with Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Advanced Short Story Writing with Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Writing Flash Fiction with Tania Hershman, I plan to attend Tania’s workshop, hope to see you there!

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A short story of mine, “117 Days” has been selected by Beverly Lowry as the winner of the second annual bosque Fiction Prize. The award includes a $1000 cash honorarium as well as publication in the Fall 2012 issue of bosque this November. The prize is awarded by the ABQ Writers Co-op, a creative writing community in New Mexico. Beverly Lowry is the author of six novels and several works of nonfiction. She teaches writing at George Mason University.

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In addition to my volunteer work saving slow lorises, I am also fundraising to support animal rights volunteers in Bosnia, where the situation with stray and abused dogs and cats is very bad. I fundraise to help pay for food, veterinary care and medicines. If you can help or have any ideas of how to help, please go to In Memory of Vučko.

Karaoke Girl on Flash Mob

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The Award Ceremony for the Flash Mob Writing Competition is happening tonight, May 26 at the Dulcimer in Manchester, part of the Chorlton Arts Festival 2011. All 12 shortlisted entrants will be doing a reading of their story – I can’t attend, but I recorded my story and it will be played along with a little slide show… if you also can’t attend, you can listen to the ceremony on radio (online) at Chorlton FM… And then of course there will be the awards – who will be the winner…?

 

Mihalis and the Mermaid

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FH247My short story, Mihalis and the Mermaid, received an honourable mention for the Canadian literary magazine Fiddlehead’s 20th Annual Best Short Fiction Competition. There is only one first place, and two honourable mentions. You can purchase the issue here. I believe in supporting literary magazines and small presses, so please do buy the issue if you are interested in reading the story.

The judge of the fiction section of the competition was Steven Heighton, who has written several award winning novels and poetry collections. He had this to say about my story: “”Mihalis and the Mermaid” is a hypnotic tale, lyrical but eerie and disturbing, told from three perspectives that are equally well-handled: that of a seven-year-old girl and of her somewhat older brother, both visiting Crete with their mother, and of a local young man who tells us, “I turn the children in the fire of my heart, turning them over and over like pigs on a spit, washing them with love.” Yikes. As you read this story you will think you know what’s going to happen next and you will be wrong.”

Ink Sweat & Tears review of Unthology

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Another review of Unthank Books Unthology no 1 in Ink Sweat & Tears. “This collection is edgy, sharp and original and certainly shows that the short story is alive and well..” more..

My short story, Write or Die, is mentioned:

“…the fiction which, however you want to define it, is full of fresh, strong voices giving testimony to all that is weird and tangential, seething under the calm surface of everyday life. In Sandra Jensen’s Write or Die, we witness the breathless confession of Dale, foul mouthed and virtually illiterate, yet imbued with a sense of righteousness and a poetry of vision reminiscent of a figure from Faulkner.”

The review is by author Sarah Bower.

Do you own an iPhone (iPod/iPad) and like to read?

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Are you in need of something to distract you while you wait for your train to arrive at its destination? Ether Books, the mobile publishing company, have published my story La Llorona. If you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod and want something to while away the time while you are enroute somewhere, please download the Ether App, where you’ll find me in the Authors section.

There are other stories you can download, some free and some for a small fee. There are stories from Hilary Mantel, Alexander McCall Smith, Henry James and many others.

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