The Historical Writers Association

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Dorothy Dunnett / HWA Short Story

New Final Submission Date for the DDS/HWA Short Story Competition! 1 August 2025

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Yes, fate is on your side! You still have time to enter!

It looks like we haven’t got the word out enough on the DDS / HWA Short Story Competition this year, so we are extending the deadline to midnight on 1 August 2025. Many thanks to those who have already submitted a story.

Perhaps we rely too much on X (formerly Twitter) to spread the word, or perhaps our muses are all on strike. Last year saw our highest ever number of entries, so something strange is going on! If your muse needs encouragement remind them this competition has helped launch the career of some excellent writers of historical fiction.

Please do spread the word if you have the chance. All the details are available here: https://historicalwriters.org/ddshwass-award-2025/

You can read last year’s fantastic winner here: https://historiamag.com/st-kilda-bird-song-kf-maccarthy-hwaddss24/

HWA / DDS Short Story Competition – Winner, Highly Commended and Shortlist

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Thank you so much to all our readers and judges, and to everyone who submitted. It was a fantastic year.

Winner

. Collapse ~ Chrissy Sturt 

An immediately engrossing tale of a family in Southampton in 1940. A great sense of place and character and a full and satisfying story told with economy and grace.

Highly Commended

. Forever Mine ~ Bradford Gyori

A haunting tale of the American west with a fresh and persuasive voice which feels like an epic in miniature.

. Homecoming ~ Ruth Moore

A dark and unsettling tale of a return after World War II. Superb writing and a shimmering tension which delivers an impressive twist. 

Shortlisted

. The Coachman’s Tale ~ Stuart Fortey

A convincing story of the household of Charles Dickens – moving and surprising.

. The Whole of the Moon ~ John Irving Clarke

Gentle, hopeful and musical encounter between a Falklands veteran and an unusual young woman.

. The Tale of Mud-Mary ~ Valerie Thompson 

A lovely lyrical story which conjures a whole 19th century community along a riverbank.

We look forward to publishing all six of these short stories as an anthology later in the year, and Collapse will also be published on www.historiamag.com and the Dorothy Dunnett Society Magazine, The Whispering Gallery. 

HWA / Dorothy Dunnett Short Story – Longlist Announced

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Huge congratulations to all the longlisted writers – 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. 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

Dorothy Dunnett / HWA Short Story Award 2022

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We are delighted to announced our short story competition, run in partnership with the Dorothy Dunnett Society is now open for entries! All details and how to enter here. The word limit is a generous 3500 and the entry fee is still £5. Transport us into the past and you could win mentoring, inclusion in our anthology of short listed stories. The deadline for entries is 1 July.