I am thrilled and honoured to be shortlisted for the ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award, 2020 – one of the Royal Society of Authors’ annual prize events.

This particular prize is for a single short story, judged by writers for writers.

My entry is ‘Whale Watching’, which won last year’s ChipLit Festival Competition. 

I’m especially pleased, as it is set in Wales – Fishguard, to be exact – just a few miles from where I live.

Most of my stories venture from France, to the American mid-west or on to Hawaii, so it’s rather nice to have this one closer to home. It is also based around a true event and I’ve written about it before, on my blog (link here).

Previous shortlistees/winners of the ALCS prize include Alison MacLeod, Claire Fuller and Carys Davies, who is one of my favourite writers. There’s a lot of talent on the current list and whatever happens in the final judging, I am very proud to have made it this far. Good luck to everybody!

‘Whale Watching’ is included in my collection, ‘Trouble Crossing the Bridge’,

which will be out shortly.

Many, many thanks to ALCS, the Society of Authors and the Nellie Tom-Gallon bequest, in memory of her brother, that makes this award possible.