The Bedford Competition 2025 - Results
2025 Prize winners
| Short Story Main Prize | Author | Title | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | David Pidgeon | The Artist in the Mud | UK |
| 2nd | Mona Becker | Small Sea | Germany |
| 3rd | Oliver Roberts | Neck of the Dragon | UK |
| Poetry Main Prize | Author | Title | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Robin Muers | My Career in unwelcoming | UK |
| 2nd | Amy Levitin Gray | Spells for Protection | USA |
| 3rd | Hang Kuang Sang | Elegy for a Deleted User | Malaysia |
| Cygnature prize | Author | Title | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story | Lilian Aunger | The Scentimentalist | Switzerland |
| Poem | Maria Woodford | In which we buy mood rings at the british heart foundation | UK |
| Bedford Prize | Author | Title | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story | Robert Allen | His Woods | UK |
| Poem | Mark Graham | Marra | UK |
Short Story Main Prize - Shortlist Prize
| Author | Title | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Falkingham | The Burial of Devlin McManus | USA |
| Colin Mullins | In the Midst of Wolves | UK |
| David Pidgeon | The Artist in the Mud | UK |
| Joel Lewin | I have wanted to talk to you for so long | UK |
| Julie Wareing | Seven Sisters | UK |
| Kevin Sandefur | Mr. Happys Convenient Mart and Confectionary | USA |
| Mary Francis | The Interview | NZ |
| Mona Becker | Small Sea | Germany |
| Oliver Roberts | Neck of the Dragon | UK |
| Samantha Pires | Jesus of Karrington | USA |
| Sherry Morris | The Twist of Limes | UK |
| Tom Mason | The Collection | UK |
Short Story Main Prize – Longlist
| Author | Title | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Falkingham | The Burial of Devlin McManus | USA |
| Alan Falkingham | Invictus | USA |
| Amanda Gilroy | Posing | UK |
| Ashish Kaul | The Death of a Jokebook | India |
| Asli Konac | The Forest Walks | UK |
| Chris Drinan | The Queue | UK |
| Chris Humphrey | The End of the Matter | UK |
| Colin Mullins | In the Midst of Wolves | UK |
| David Pidgron | The Artist in the Mud | UK |
| Diana Powell | Meat | UK |
| DP Warne | The Runner | UK |
| Emma Williams | Justice Served | UK |
| Ewart Hutton | Moiras Legacy | UK |
| Joel Lewin | I have wanted to talk to you for so long | UK |
| Jonathan Buckmaster | The amateur ornithologists guide to the nest construction of coastal birds by Arthur Dawson with illustrative colour plates by Loic | UK |
| Joyanna Lovelock | A labyrinth of Echoes | UK |
| Julie Wareing | Seven Sisters | UK |
| Kathy Hoyle | Auld Gallowa | UK |
| Kevin Sandefur | Mr. Happys Convenient Mart and Confectionary | USA |
| Khushi Bajaj | Afsana | UK |
| Kieran Costello | Ticking in the Halfway House | UK |
| Lilian Auinger | The Scentimentalist | Switzerland |
| Mary Francis | The Interview | New Zealand |
| Michael Pettit | Putty | South Africa |
| Mona Becker | Small Sea | Germany |
| Nigel Hall | The Layered Space Between Us | UK |
| Oliver Roberts | Neck of the Dragon | UK |
| Paul McMichael | His Pebble Project | UK |
| Peter Norbury | Peaches | UK |
| Philip Wilson | The Fox and the Newshound | UK |
| Philippa Leah | Homing | UK |
| Rachel Schnellinger-Bailey | Lagan | Switzerland |
| Rosieda Shabodien | Sinless by the Sea | South Africa |
| Samantha Pires | Jesus of Karrington | USA |
| Seán McNicholl | The First Lambs of Spring | UK |
| Sherry Morris | The Twist of Limes | UK |
| Simon Rowe | Elvira Says | Japan |
| Terry Mulhern | Just Blood | Australia |
| Timothy Collyer | The Swimmers | UK |
| Tom Mason | The Collection | UK |
Poetry Main Prize - Shortlist
| Author | Title | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Ameen Animashaun | The Furrows | USA |
| Amy Levitin Gray | Spells for Protection | USA |
| Cat Boyd-Foley | May the Patron Saint of this Postcode Look Kindly Upon Me | UK |
| Christopher Horton | Phantom Job Process | UK |
| Cory Mackenzie-Gray | Epidemic | UK |
| Dion Everett | Marks | UK |
| Hang Kuang Sang | Elegy for a Deleted User | Malaysia |
| Kira Trainor | Lady with a Pet Dog | USA |
| Mae Gesser | Calypso | USA |
| Robin Muers | My Career in Unwelcoming | UK |
| Topher Shields | Apostate | New Zealand |
| Valerie Rose | Couchsurfing | USA |
Poetry Main Prize – Longlist
| Author | Title | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandra Corrin-Tachibana | In Kyoto... I long for Kyoto | UK |
| Ameen Animashaun | The Furrows | USA |
| Amy Barrett | Remember me | UK |
| Amy Levitin Gray | Spells for Protection | USA |
| Andre Swanepoel | To the People who Tidy the Day | South Africa |
| Andrea Lucy-Hirst | Covering Fire | UK |
| Arran Potts | Brigid | UK |
| Bridget Hagan | Crimson | USA |
| Cameron McCaleb | You Wait for Paint to Dry | USA |
| Cat Boyd-Foley | May the Patron Saint of this Postcode Look Kindly Upon Me | UK |
| Chris Hardy | Paestum | UK |
| Christian Donovan | I Want the Energy | UK |
| Christopher Horton | Phantom Job Process | UK |
| Claire Frankel | In My Great Aunt's Kitchen | USA |
| Clif Mason | A Further Migration | USA |
| Cory Mackenzie-Gray | Epidemic | UK |
| Dion Everett | Marks | UK |
| Erica Jane Morris | Weeping Birch | UK |
| Glen Wilson | A brace of pheasants | UK |
| Hang Kuang Sang | Elegy for a Deleted User | Malaysia |
| Hetta Jones | Big Red | UK |
| Jay Mitra | Shopping Lists | UK |
| Jennifer M Phillips | Golden Helmet | USA |
| Jesse ten Bokkel | Elders | Netherlands |
| Kate Fenwick | After Three Decades of Waiting | UK |
| Kate Torode | Whisper of Silk | USA |
| Kira Trainor | Earth Finds a Piece of Herself | USA |
| Kira Trainor | Lady with a Pet Dog | USA |
| Lisa Joyce | A Pile of Nails | USA |
| Mae Gesser | Calypso | USA |
| Mari Girling | Gwen John to Augustus 1914 | UK |
| Maria Woodford | in which we buy mood rings at the british heart foundation | UK |
| Mark de Klerk | Life in Short | UK |
| Mark Graham | Marra | UK |
| Nat Townsend | Parts Towards Eternity | UK |
| Robin Muers | My Career in Unwelcoming | UK |
| Topher Shields | Apostate | New Zealand |
| Ursula Murphy | For Keepers of Books | Ireland |
| Valerie Rose | Couchsurfing | USA |
| Zoë Green | Sea Turtle, Unawatuna Beach | Germany |
