A not-for-profit organisation
Encouraging Creative Writing
A most enjoyable evening of celebration was held on the evening of 25th January when the prize-winners of the 2018 short story and poetry competitions were announced.
The audience was treated to a first class story as the competition judge, Sue Moorcroft read the winning tale, Joss 'n' Jules Forever. Equally they were spellbound by the winning poem First Born recited by the successful poet, Colin Hughes.
For a limited period, these and the other prize-winning entries, including the Bedford Prize winners, can be read online by scrolling down this page and clicking on the title of the story or poem in the 2018 results section.
In addition to the announcement of results, donations stemming from the competition entry fees were made to the charities, Just Be A Child and the Bedford Women's Refuge, Butterfly House.
The next date to look out for is 1st May 2019 when this year's short story and poetry competitions will open for entries.
Maybe this year literary success will come your way. To ensure this could be the case, start preparing your entry now.
Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times and international bestselling author and has reached the coveted No.1 spot on Amazon Kindle. She's won the Readers' Best Romantic Novel award, the Katie Fforde Bursary, and has been nominated on several other occasions, including for the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards.
She is a former judge of the Writers' Forum competitions.
Her short stories, serials, columns, writing guides and courses have appeared all over the world.
Website: www.suemoorcroft.com
Dr Sharon Priestley has presented literature courses for the University of Cambridge, The Letchworth Settlement, Bedford's Rothsay Education Centre and two American universities. The topics of her courses range from classic English and American novels to those that have won the Man Booker Prize, short stories from around the world, poetry, women's writings and children's literature. She has also presented courses on James Boswell and Samuel Johnson and has given papers focused on those fascinating individuals at the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies conferences and Literary London conferences.
Rory Waterman was born in Belfast and grew up in Lincolnshire. His second poetry collection, Sarajevo Roses, has recently been published by Carcanet. His debut, Tonight the Summer's Over (Carcanet, 2013), was a PBS Recommendation and was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Prize. He co-runs New Walk Editions and writes for the TLS and other publications. He is senior lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University.
Website: rorywaterman.com
| Story title | Author |
| Afternoon delight | Nicola Coleman - London |
| Eventide | Katherine Mezzacappa - Carrara,Italy |
| The Highs and Lows of Barefoot Pleasure | Taria Karillion - Chester |
| Joss'n'Jules Forever | Rob McInroy - Beverley |
| Lifeguard | Jack Desmond - Bandon, Ireland |
| The Milestone Birthday | Sarah Veness - Northampton |
| The Safety of Bees | Fiona Barnett - Sandy |
| Troubled Waters | Meg Holdsworth - Cheltenham |
| Underground Movement | Barry Cooper - Bedford |
| Waterloo Sunset | Jo Carroll - Newbury |
| The Walk | Curtis Batterbee - Bedford |
| The Weight of Snow | Rob McInroy - Beverley |
| Poem title | Poet |
| August Bank Holiday | Meredith Andrea - York |
| Bedtime for the Twins | Guy Russell - Milton Keynes |
| Clowns Crossing | Caroline Price - Framlingham |
| CSI | Colin Hughes - Saxmundham |
| Her Diaries | Roger Elkin - Biddulph Moor |
| Evergreen Carol | Eleni Cay - Milton Keynes |
| First Born | Colin Hughes - Saxmundham |
| He told her she was only thinking of herself | Guy Russell - Milton Keynes |
| The Museums | Josh Ekroy - London |
| Nearly QED | Robin Muers - Rugby |
| New Wine | Rosemary McLeish - Faversham |
| Votive Offering | Miriam Patrick - Hassocks |
| Story title | Author |
| Afternoon delight | Nicola Coleman - London |
| Amadu Palaver | Foday Mannah - Broxburn |
| The Angry Sun God | Dan Brozel - London |
| Black Boy Winnings | Janet Swinney - London |
| Cast Away | Tomas Furby - Didcot |
| A Dream Holiday | Dionne Haynes - Plymouth |
| Eventide | Katherine Mezzacappa - Carrara, , Italy |
| The Faraway Field | Richard Powell - Ash, Aldershot |
| Gifts | Emma Myatt - Gourdon |
| Habitat | Sarah Price - London |
| The Highs and Lows of Barefoot Pleasure | Taria Karillion - Chester |
| Home Port | Meg Holdsworth - Cheltenham |
| Joss'n'Jules Forever | Rob McInroy - Beverley |
| Kneelers | Sherri Turner - Thames Ditton |
| Lifeguard | Jack Desmond - Bandon, Ireland |
| Mansplaining | David Butler - Bray, Ireland |
| The Milestone Birthday | Sarah Veness - Northampton |
| Mother Moves in Slow Motion | Judith Wilson - London |
| A Problem Halved | Conor Watson - Kleve, Germany |
| The Safety of Bees | Fiona Barnett - Sandy |
| Her Secret Lover | Linda Daunter - Preston |
| Separate Ways | Charles Warren - Sunbury |
| The Table by the Window | Yvonne Sampson - Bushey |
| Troubled Waters | Meg Holdsworth - Cheltenham |
| Underground Movement | Barry Cooper - Bedford |
| Waterloo Sunset | Jo Carroll - Newbury |
| The Walk | Curtis Batterbee - Bedford |
| The Weight of Snow | Rob McInroy - Beverley |
| Zither Music | David Butler - Bray, Ireland |
| Poem title | Poet |
| All Souls | Anne Casey - Northbridge, Australia |
| August Bank Holiday | Meredith Andrea - York |
| Votive Offering | Miriam Patrick - Hassocks |
| Carrying On | Susan E Hollabd - Campbeltown |
| Christmas Afternoon | Christopher James - Jouy-en-Josas, France |
| The Circle | Josh Ekroy - London |
| Nearly QED | Robin Muers - Rugby |
| Critten Hospital | Eleni Cay - Milton Keynes |
| Evergreen Carol | Eleni Cay - Milton Keynes |
| CSI | Colin Hughes - Saxmundham |
| Bedtime for the Twins | Guy Russell - Milton Keynes |
| Her Diaries | Roger Elkin - Biddulph Moor |
| Field Characters | Susan E Holland - Campbeltown |
| The Fiftieth | Josh Ekroy - London |
| Footsteps | Val Ormrod - Lydney |
| The Fulbourn Virgin | Miriam Patrick - Hassocks |
| Gansey | Gordon Aindow - Preston |
| Good Sense | Charles Evans - London |
| New Wine | Rosemary McLeish - Faversham |
| How We Lost It | Guy Russell - Milton Keynes |
| Jersey Tiger Moth | Mark Totterdell - Exeter |
| Mel Tossing a Pack On 285 | Christopher Watson - Santa Fe, USA |
| Clowns Crossing | Caroline Price - Framlingham |
| He told her she was only thinking of herself | Guy Russell - Milton Keynes |
| The News | Christopher James - Jouy-en-Josas, France |
| First Born | Colin Hughes - Saxmundham |
| Out of a Wall | Mandy Pannett - Pulborough |
| Siren in a night street | Christopher James - Jouy-en-Josas, France |
| Sorting Office | Ian Murray - Stirling |
| Squall | Tobias Peterson - Portland, USA |
| Things that I have | Sarah Hosking - Newport, Wales |
| Totality | Pat Winslow - Witney |
| The Museums | Josh Ekroy - London |
| The Vortex | Judth Drazin - Bristol |
| What we share | Christopher Watson - Santa Fe, USA |
| Whit was hid for, Rachel Whaness' womb? | Jane Burn - Consett |
Sophie Hannah is a best-selling author of atmospheric, psychological thrillers and her poetry is studied for exams. In September 2015 BWC invited her to be interviewed before a live audience at the Trinity Theatre, Bedford. She entertained us with her recollections of how she became a successful writer and shared some of her novel-writing secrets.
Ruth Hogan was the 2017 short story competition judge and has been a regular supporter of the competition since its start. Being a local author she represents the cultural reputation of Bedford which the BIWC aims to promote. Having spent her early working life in local government she wrote stories as part of her therapy while recovering from cancer. Her success with her first published novel in 2017 is testament to her never giving up hope of becoming a best-selling author and is a fine example to all writers with similar ambitions.
Toby Litt is an English writer and academic in the Department of English and Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London. He has several publications to his name both novels and collections of short stories. Born in Ampthill and a former pupil of Bedford Modern School. In 2016 he was the judge of the BIWC Short Story Competition.
Ian McEwen was the judge for the 2016 Poetry Competition. He has had his poems published in a variety of magazines as well as producing a pamphlet, The Stammering Man and his first full collection in book form, Intermittent Beings. He is interested in opportunities to broaden the practice and appreciation of poetry, through readings, workshops or residencies.
Margaret Norwich was the judge of the Bedford Prize in 2015 and 2016. She studied liberal arts at Vassar College, New York and then came over to England to read English at Girton College, Cambridge. As well as working in publishing and the voluntary sector, Margaret lectured for many years on English Language and Literature at De Montfort and Cranfield Universities. American born, she now regards herself a true Bedfordian.
Leigh Russell is a best-selling crime novelist. Her association with the BIWC began in 2014 when the competition went 'nternational'. She has been the judge for the 2014 and the 2015 competitions. We are extremely grateful for the encouragement that she has given us and gives to writers of all abilities.
© 2019 The Bedford Writing Competition. Developed by Xiaorong Tan
