2022 has proved another really strong year for the HWA DDS Short Story Competition with stories which took us from Homeric times to the 1980s. All of the stories long listed are fresh, engaging works and our final round judges have savoured each and every one.

Huge thanks to our first round judges for all their work and thank you to everyone who entered. It was very difficult to select only 25 from the fantastic stories submitted to the competition. The shortlist and winners will be announced on 4 October.

 

. Sugar Plum ~ Lucy Ashe 

. Uncertain Terms ~ Juno Baker 

. Terrible Wife ~ Briony Bax 

. Fortuna Redux ~ Thea Burgess 

. Featherweight ~ Andrew Burnet 

. The Stuff of which Fairytales Are Made ~ Georgina Clarke 

. Binkie ~ Chris Cottom 

. Freedom’s Fires ~ Malina Douglas 

. The Coachman’s Tale ~ Stuart Fortey 

. Forever Mine ~ Bradford Gyori 

. Screaming Dogfight with the Light ~ Richard Hooton 

. The Whole of the Moon ~ John Irving Clarke 

. The Quill Pen Maker’s Apprentice ~ Dee La Vardera 

. The Dinner Bell ~ Patrick Larsimont 

. The Prince and the Pardieri ~ Kate MacCarthy 

. Assumption Day ~ Lourdes Mackey 

. Sins of Pride ~ Sarah Matthews 

. Homecoming ~ Ruth Moore 

. The Selkie’s Gift ~ Catherine Ogston 

. The Tangerine Queen ~ Hilary Orme 

. Beasts of Holm ~ Willie Orr 

. Careme and the Crime of the Century ~ Emma Seaman 

. Collapse ~ Chrissy Sturt 

. The Tale of Mud-Mary ~ Valerie Thompson 

. I Have a Name ~ Frances Turner