Edge Hill Short Story Prize

The Edge Hill Short Story Prize is a short-story contest held annually by Edge Hill University.

Edge Hill Short Story Prize
CountryEngland, British Isles
Presented byEdge Hill University

Background

The concept for the prize was developed by Professor Ailsa Cox following a 2006 short-story conference at Edge Hill. Candidates must be born or normally reside in the British Isles (including Ireland), making the prize the only United Kingdom award to recognize a single author, published short-story collection.[1]

The prize has three categories: the main literary award of £10,000, the Reader's Prize award (judged by the BA Creative Writing students) of £1,000, and the MA Creative Writing rising talents award of £500.[2] Rodge Glass, previously senior lecturer in creative writing at Edge Hill, edited an anthology of selected stories from winners and shortlisted authors to celebrate the award's first ten years. Titled Head Land: 10 Years of the Edge Hill Short Story Prize, it was published in 2017.[3]

Judging

Each year, the judging panel consists of three individuals who are supporters of the short story through writing or the creative industries, or have connections with the university.

YearJudge 1Judge 2Judge 3
2007Andrew CantA.L. KennedyAilsa Cox
2008Hilary MantelDuncan MinshullProfessor Rhiannon Evans
2009Claire KeeganJames WaltonMark Flinn
2010Chris BeckettKatharine FryProfessor Tanya Byron
2011Jeremy DysonStuart MaconieMarcus Gipps
2012Graham MortSuzi FeayProfessor Rhiannon Evans
2013Lesley McDowellJim LeeSarah Hall
2014Kevin BarryCarys BrayKatie Allen
2015Chris PowerRachel TreziseAilsa Cox
2016 Kirsty Gunn Cathy Galvin Billy Cowan
2017 Thomas Morris Cathy Galvin Rodge Glass
2018 Alice O'Keffee Paul McVeigh Daisy Johnson
2019 Elizabeth Baines Tessa Hadley Sam Jordison

Winners

Colm Toibin was the first winner of the Edge Hill Short Story Prize in 2007.[4] His winning collection, Mothers and Sons, explores the family relationships of several individuals during significant times in their lives.[5] The following year Claire Keegan won the prize with her collection entitled Walk the Blue Fields.[6] The collection's stories illustrate the yearning of the human heart against the backdrop of a nation wrestling with its past.[7] The 2009 prize was awarded to Chris Beckett for The Turing Test.[8] This science fiction collection captures readers' attention with tales about robots, alien planets, genetic manipulation, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.[9] Jeremy Dyson won the 2010 prize for his third short story collection The Cranes that Build the Cranes. A compilation of ghoulish stories, The Cranes that Build the Cranes is full of black humour and dark stories that received significant praise from critics.[10] In 2011 judges awarded the prize to Professor Graham Mort for his collection entitled Touch.[11] The stories in Touch are set in a variety of backgrounds including Africa, France, and northern England, and they convey an understanding and respect of the natural world and human relationships.[12] Sarah Hall's The Beautiful Indifference won the prize in 2012.[13] The collection includes erotic and disarming stories that span across centuries and diverse landscapes, all emphasizing the importance of survivalism.[14] Dark Lies the Island by Kevin Barry was awarded the prize in 2013.[15] This collection explores the tragedies and comedies of everyday life, and includes moving tales of misspent love and crimes gone wrong.[16] The 2014 prize was given to John Burnside for his collection entitled Something Like Happy.[17] Stories in Something Like Happy are often set in coastal towns during the winter, and include tales of menace, violence, and hallucinations.[18] The 2015 prize was awarded to Professor Kirsty Gunn for Infidelities.[19] The collection centres on stories of infidelity and includes tales of lust, love, resentment, and regret.[20]

YearAuthorShort Story Collection
2007Colm ToibinMothers and Sons
2008Claire KeeganWalk the Blue Fields
2009Chris BeckettThe Turing Test
2010Jeremy DysonThe Cranes that Build the Cranes
2011Graham MortTouch
2012Sarah HallThe Beautiful Indifference
2013Kevin BarryDark Lies the Island
2014John BurnsideSomething Like Happy
2015Kirsty GunnInfidelities
2016 Jessie Greengrass An Account of the Decline Of The Great Auk, According To One Who Saw It
2017 Daisy Johnson Fen
2018 Tessa Hadley Bad Dreams
2019 David Szalay Turbulence

Award ceremonies

Winning authors are announced and honoured at an award ceremony each year. Furthermore, Edge Hill University hosts a public reading, during which the prize recipient reads from the winning collection.

YearAward Ceremony Location
2007Royal Exchange, Manchester
2008The Bluecoat, Liverpool
2009The Bluecoat, Liverpool
2010Blackwell's Bookstore, London
2011Blackwell's Bookstore, London
2012Free Word Centre, London
2013Waterstones Piccadilly, London
2014Free Word Centre, London
2015Free Word Centre, London

Citations
  1. "Eligibility". Edge Hill University. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  2. "Short Story". Edge Hill University. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  3. "Head Land: Ten Years of the Edge Hill Short Story Prize". Freight Books. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  4. Flood, Alison (6 May 2009). "SF author up against Booker winner for short story award". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  5. "Mothers and Sons". Colm Toibin. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  6. "Keegan wins Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2008". Curtis Brown. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  7. "Walk the Blue Fields". Faber & Faber. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  8. "The Turing Test". Chris Beckett. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  9. "Surprise win as Chris Beckett triumphs in Edge Hill Short Story Prize". Midaspr. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  10. Krieger, Candice (12 August 2010). "Jeremy Dyson snatches a prize for his ghoulish stories". The JC. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  11. "Graham Mort". British Council Literature. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  12. "Poet scoops Edge Hill University Short Story Prize 2011". Edge Hill University. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  13. Mullen, Adrian (23 July 2012). "Author Sarah Hall lands Edge Hill University Prize". The Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  14. "Sarah Hall wins Edge Hill Prize". Conville and Walsh. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  15. "Edge Hill University Short Story Prize 2014". Nawe. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  16. "Dark Lies the Island". Gray Wolf Press. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  17. "John Burnside". University of St Andrews. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  18. Hanks, Robert (29 January 2013). "Something Like Happy by John Burnside review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  19. "Professor Kirsty Gunn wins major short story award". University of Dundee. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  20. "Kirsty Gunn wins the Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2015". Conville and Walsh. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
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