I am particularly delighted to have been shortlisted for the 2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for my story, ‘Thaw’– one of my favourites.

The award is for writers born or living in Wales and is nationally recognized for encouraging this often-neglected form and resulting in a wide variety of stories of the highest calibre.

The judge this year was Tyler Keevil, himself an award-winning author, who has called this year’s selection enthralling, inspiring and humbling. 

I am very proud to be included in this list of twelve writers.

Congratulations, all!

(Short biographies of the writers and more details of the background to the competition are given on the website – https://www.swansea.ac.uk/cultural-institute/rhys-davies-short-story-competition )

The winner will be announced in September.

All twelve stories will appear in an anthology, edited by Elaine Canning, of Swansea University’s Cultural Institute, to be published by Parthian books in October.

Many thanks to all those involved in the running of the competition.