I had 32 entries. They were anonymised for me for judging. I scored each entry out of 10 for each of the following criteria:
- Originality
- Completeness
- Emotional impact
- Word painting
All of the shortlisted entries scored over 30. I have also given a special mention to the entries that scored 29.
I will be contacting all those who entered individually. The winner and runner-up will be offered publication. All those shortlisted or given a special mention will receive a couple of lines of feedback.
Congratulations to the authors of the entries listed below. Feel free to broadcast the fact that you have made the shortlist or got a special mention, but please don’t identify which piece is yours until the final results have been announced.
Shortlist
Chapter 39
Spider, Spider
Spoor
The Next Good Joy That Mary Had
Winter Needs Watching
Special mention
Ice Age
The Illustrator
The Taste of Champagne
Come back on Friday 17th February for the announcement of the winner and runner-up, and names of those on the shortlist and with a special mention.

Ice shards