2019 Poetry and Short Story Competition Short Lists
Walter Swan Poetry Prize Shortlist 2019
Now in its fourth year, the Walter Swan Poetry Prize is open to all writers of poetry aged 18 and over. This year, for the first time, we have introduced a new prize category for young writers aged 18-25, which runs along the main prize.
This year the main prize has been judged by Poet in Residence, Colette Bryce. The 18-25 prize has been judged by Shash Travett, one of the 2019 Apprentice Poets in Residence. In total we received over 200 entries and the quality was such that judges had a hard time making their final decisions.
The shortlist:
Border Patrol by Deborah Ballantyne
What Are You, Puffin by Rob Miles
Results
The winners will be announced at Colette Bryce’s reading on Sunday 20 October and posted online shortly after.
The poems shortlisted in the 18-25 category are:
Job Interview by Freya Carter
Isadora by Annabelle Fuller
Fox Spirit by Sarah Ang
Results
The winners will be announced at Shash Trevett’s reading on Saturday 12 October and posted online shortly after.
Short Story Competition Shortlist 2019
In total we received over 200 entries for this year’s short story competition. Many entries drew on important social issues such as dementia care or mental health, while others were packed with twists, turns and suprising final reveals.
The competition has been judged by Lucy Caldwell, herself recently shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award. You can listen to her shortlisted story, The Children, here.
The shortlist:
Butterflies by Alison Woodhouse
Canal Turn by Robert Kibble
OBSESSION A Compulsive Love Story by Laura Coleman
The Lochan by Janet Killeen
Results
The winners will be announced at Being Various on Saturday 12 October and posted online shortly after.
