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The Dorothy Dunnett / HWA Short Story Winners 2024

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Our judges had an inspiring but difficult task to choose the winning stories from over two hundred entries. The six shortlisted stories will be available as an anthology and we hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Winner

St Kilda Bird Song – K.F. MacCarthy 

A magical and immersive story of a late nineteenth century teacher on the remote island, told from diverse perspectives with fluency and confidence. A very special piece of writing about a remarkable place.

Highly Commended

After Jutland, 1916 – Liz Kershaw

A touching and assured story of motherhood and family as a widow struggles to raise her three boys after losing her husband. A tale of ordinary heroism done with a light touch.

No Competition – Elaine O’Connor

A gentle tale of triumph, full of quiet pride. A teacher gives a memorable student her moment and changes her life.

Shortlisted

Mother’s Fury – Laura Karim

A taught slice of violence and revenge at the climax of the peasant’s revolt in 14th century England.

Bonfire Night – Muiread O’Hanlon

A fresh and convincing voice of boyhood adventure in Ireland. Vivid and compelling.

Nebraska – Cath Staincliffe

Richly imagined story of frontier adventure and resilience. 

Thank you so much to all the writers who submitted stories this year. As always the standard was very high, and the judges were deeply impressed by the range of periods, places and people brought to life by the entrants. We read adventure, romance, mystery and enjoyed delicate portraits of forgotten characters. 

Historia Live! 15 June 2023

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Hazel Gaynor, Anna Mazzola and AJ West in conversation

Come to the Wheatsheaf in Fitzrovia to enjoy a free ranging conversation with three brilliant historical novelists, chaired by bestselling author Gill Paul.

The Wheatsheaf 25 Rathbone Place Fitzrovia London W1T 1JB

BOOK TICKETS

Enjoy the talk – which will last for about an hour – then stay to buy copies of their books (you know you want to) and enjoy a drink with them all, as well as other authors and enthusiasts of historical writing.

Doors open at 7 and the conversation will begin at 7.30!

Anna Mazzola is a writer of historical thrillers and Gothic fiction. Her novels explore the impact of crime and injustice. Her new novel, The House of Whispers, is set in Rome in 1938.

As the world teeters on the brink of war, talented young pianist Eva Valenti enters the house of widower Dante Cavallera to become his new wife. On the outside, the forces of Fascism are accelerating, but in her new home, Eva fears that something else is at work, whispering in the walls and leaving mysterious marks on Dante’s troubled young daughter. Soon she starts to wonder whether the house itself is trying to give up the secrets of its mysterious past – secrets that Dante seems so determined to keep hidden.

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times and international bestselling author. Her new novel, THE LAST LIFEBOAT is inspired by a remarkable true story, from 1940 as young teacher evacuates children to safety across perilous waters.

Her most recent historical novel, set in China during WW2, published as The Bird In The Bamboo Cage, in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and as When We Were Young & Brave in the USA and Canada, was an Irish Times bestseller, a National Bestseller in the USA and was shortlisted for the 2020 Irish Book Awards.

A.J.West is the winner of the HWA Debut Crown for The Spirit Engineer and an award-winning former BBC journalist, radio broadcaster and voice artist from Buckinghamshire. He has also written for national newspapers and magazines and has appeared on national television programmes, including BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, This Morning and the legendary reality television show, Big Brother.

Keeping order is bestselling novelist, Gill Paul, whose latest novel, The Manhattan Girls, is a 1920s version of Sex and the City, as Dorothy Parker—one of the wittiest women who ever wielded a pen—and her three friends navigate life, love, and careers in New York City.