Members' Competitions 2011 Results
Winners – Announced at the Gala Dinner, 3rd September 2011
This is the news that those of you who entered our competitions have been waiting for. Finalists are listed in alphabetical order, within their class. It is declared that only the Competition Administrator and the Chairman who will print the certificates, knows who is a winner. No-one else knows – come to the Festival and hear the results after the Gala Dinner.
There are names in the list which crop up regularly. These writers are to be congratulated for their consistently high level of work.
We would like to thank the judges for the effort that they have put into their judging. We shall publish their notes and comments at a later date.
Open Poetry, judged by James Nash
Shortlisted
- STEPHEN MIDDLETON, Pest control, Hexham Writers.
- JOHN WILLIAM PRATT, One Day, Moorside Writers.
Specially Commended
- BARRY ADAMS, Evocation, The Inn Scribers.
- ALFREDA BENNETT, Changing Seasons, Carlisle Writers Group.
- JAYNE OSBORN, Fight, The Northampton Literature Group.
And the winner was: John William Pratt.
Haiku, Tanka and Triolet, judged by Tim Wilson
Shortlisted
- JULIET PATRICIA ANNE BOTHAMS, Three lovesick Poems, The Fellowship of the Pen.
- CHRIS RAETSCHUS, Snow, Hexham Writers Group.
- DOROTHY COOKE, Laura's Garden, Moorside Writers.
- SHEILA CRAWFORD, Soldier's Wife, Hexham Writers.
Highly Commended
- JILL FRICKER, Tyranny, Hastings Writers Group.
- LESLEY JAMES, Blades, The Inn Scribers.
- TONY O’NEILL, Births, Marriages and Deaths, The Poised Pen.
And the winner was: Sheila Crawford.
Poem for Children, judged by Pat Thomson
Shortlisted
- JOAN CONDON, Children by the Stream, individual member.
- ELIZABETH PARISH, How the Rainbow Became, Salford Women Writers & A Thursday Group.
- MAGGIE SPOONER, The Drop, Wilmslow Writers' Group.
Highly Commended
- LYN CLARKSON, How was it then, Granny? Leigh and Atherton Writers.
- CATHERINE ANNE NORMAN, Black Jack, Moorside Writers.
- DIANA READ, Football on the Moon, Woking Writers' Circle.
And the winner was: Elizabeth Parish.
Short Story with a Final Line, judged by Linda Lewis
Shortlisted
- JENNIFER FOSTER, The Pumpkin Patch, Salisbury Writers' Group.
- CRAIG PAY, Five-a-day Friends, individual member.
Highly Commended
- WENDY FLECKNEY, Lady Penelope, individual member.
- DAVID MASON, My Allotment, Hexham Writers.
And the joint winners were: Craig Pay and Jennifer Foster.
Crime Short Story, judged by Roz Southey
Shortlisted
- SHEILA CRAWFORD, Forest Secret, Hexham Writers.
- MEG GARDNER, The Bookworm, Petersfield U3A Creative Writing Group.
- DAVID LAKE, Destiny Falling, Writers in Somerset.
- MARIANNE PIESLEY, Pussy in the Well, Weymouth & Portland U3A Writing Group.
- LYNNE C POTTER, Who do you think you are? Hexham Writers.
- LESLIE WILLIAMS, Kinds of Missing, Thames Valley Writers.
Highly Commended
- ELIZABETH PARISH, Like Father ,like Daughter, Salford Women Writers & A Thursday Group.
- PATRICIA SWAN, Someone Special, Willpower Writers Group.
- ROSE TAYLOR, Shadows of Himself, Truro Creative Writers Group.
And the winner was: David Lake.
Fantasy Short Story for Children, judged by Steve Bowkett
Shortlisted
- CHRISTINE LOWES, Night of the Midnight Moon Flood, Hexham Writers.
- ROSE TAYLOR, Dream of Dragons, Truro Creative Writers Group.
- ANGELINE WHEELER, The Woods, Wrekin Writers.
Highly Commended
- MARGARET BREWSTER, Athabasca's Quest, Blyth Writers.
- STEPHEN MIDDLETON, Prize Day, Hexham Writers.
- ALAN MURTON, What else are they not telling us? Truro Creative Writers Group.
Commended
- LAURIE CLARK, Adventure in a Gallery, individual member.
- JULIE LOUISE PHILLIPS, Mr Horton's Apple Tree, Wrekin Writers.
- PATRICIA ROSE, The Blue Bird, Hexham Writers.
And the winner was: Christine Lowes.
Ten Minute Play, judged by Marvin Close
Shortlisted
- ANDREW CONNOLLY, The Tate Gallery Tragedy, Writers' Reign.
- LYNDA TURNER, The Fat Pound, Burton Monday Writers.
- SHELAGH WAIN, Love's not Time's Fool? Burton Monday Writers.
And the winner was: Shelagh Wain.
The Denise Robertson Group Anthology
Shortlisted
- Wish You Were Here, Deal Writers.
- Hoovering the Roof 2, East Dulwich Writers Group.
- Another Light Raid, Reading Writers.
- Pick and Mix, Thames Valley Writers Circle.
Highly Commended
- Out of Our Minds, The Poised Pen.
And the winning group was: East Dulwich Writers' Group.
We all had a wonderful time last Saturday – it was great to see so many of the winners receiving their awards. If by any chance you are named as a winner and this is the first that you've heard of it, please get in touch. Pam, Chairman.
Winner of the 2010 Yule Competition
The winning entry: The Twelve Days of Hell by Judie Jones
It's the twelfth day of Christmas, Epiphany approaches and 364 gifts later my home is in ruins.
Dad has locked himself in the cellar with a whole stilton and a crate of whisky. Mum has been carted off to a home for the bewildered and I'm on the point of suicide. All because …
The Twelve Drummers Drumming have, without provocation, grievously attacked the Eleven Pipers Piping and in their retaliation, the clashing and breaking of musical instruments and the shouting and swearing, the noise has become unbearable.
The Ten Lords a-Leaping have cast aside their coronets and in a mad display of passion have raped the Nine Ladies Dancing, who are screaming blue murder and have kicked over the pails of the Eight Maids a-Milking.
The Seven Swans a-Swimming have left their pond and gone on a honking rampage, leaving in their wake the trampled eggs of the Six Geese a-Laying, who have taken their revenge by cruelly de-beaking the Four Calling Birds.
The Three French Hens have completely de-feathered the Two Turtle Doves, who've shaken the Pear Tree so hard the Partridge has fainted and fallen to the ground. Amongst the cacophony of the musicians fighting, the weeping and wailing of the dancing ladies as they splash their way through a sea of spilt milk, broken eggs, blood, feathers and droppings, I'm searching desperately for the Five Gold Rings.
These will pay for my defence as I'm on my way to strangle my True Love.
Thank you Judie – that was brilliant!
A bit about the group that judged the competition:
Blyth Writers
We are a small but perfectly proportioned group of masochists who enjoy the shared agony of putting pen to paper (or finger to computer) in the hope of producing a piece of writing that will astonish, amuse and sometimes even alarm each other. We meet each week for two-and-a-half hours of friendly comment on the work produced from the previous week's prompt. When time permits, twenty minutes is given for "off the cuff" writing on a subject suggested by one of the team. It's truly refreshing to hear twelve different approaches to the same subject matter, whether a poem, a piece of factual writing or a piece for children.
Occasionally we invite a visiting author to come along to give us help towards better writing. This encouragement certainly gives us a boost.
One member found success in writing for Mills and Boon, another won first prize for a short story competition held by Writing Magazine, yet another was twice successful in the annual NAWG competition.
Our work throughout the year is brought together in a yearly "in-house" magazine, which we edit and print ourselves. Apart from each of us having a copy, we send out three further copies to the local libraries, thus hoping to encourage others to take up the writing habit.