"Oh Bloomsbury, yes, they publish a few books" (Harry Potter)

Bloomsbury to publish first novel by Vanessa Gebbie 'The Coward's Tale' by Vanessa Gebbie, previous winner of the Willesden short story prize, will be published in hardback in UK byBloomsbury UK, November 2011. Then in paperback late spring 2012, UK and simultaneous trade paperback in USA by Bloomsbury USA. Bloomsbury publishes major writers including J K Rowling.

Labels: own trumpet, blowing

Laura Solomon wins Hong Kong's Proverse prize Another prodigy from our previous competitions, Laura Solomon has won Hong Kong's international Proverse prize, for her novelInstant Messages. "Hilarious! Excellent! Its light and ironic touch makes Instant Messages a page-turner and gives it substance." (International Proverse Prize Judges)

You know how we hate to boast but...

BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award 2010 goes to Wes Lee Willesden Herald finalist Wes Lee has just won New Zealand's preeminent prize for the short story, The BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award, judged by Booker shortlisted author Lloyd Jones (Mister Pip). The $10,000 prize is New Zealand's longest standing, most prestigious prize for the short story. Past winners of the award include NZ literary greats such as Keri Hulme, C.K. Stead, Frank Sargeson, Vincent O'Sullivan. Since her shortlisted story 'The Dead Don't Do That Kind of Thing' was published in Willesden Herald New Short Stories 1 (2007) Wes Lee has won a number of prizes for her short stories. For more information and to read the Katherine Mansfield Award winning story please visit www.weslee.co.nz.

A class act

Wena Poon's new novel is BBC4 Book at Bedtime BBC4 Book at Bedtime for the two weeks starting September 6, 2010 will be "Alex y Robert" by Wena Poon. Earlier this year, "The Architects" by Wena Poon took the Willesden Herald 2009-10 prize for best short story of the year. For a lot more about Alex y Robert, please visit Salt Publishing. If you would like to read "The Architects", it is included in New Short Stories 4, which if you buydirect from the publisher between now and December 17th, includes free entry into this year's short story competition.

Special offer

Read the best of the Willesden Herald stories and get prepaid entry to this year's short story competition. To take up this offer you will need a Pretend Genius online bookstore order confirmation number for one of these four books. Valid 1 August 2010 to 17 December 2010. Thank you.

New Short Stories author receives Mailer scholarship

Pennsylvania, June 2010: Morowa Yejidé has been awarded Norman Mailer’s Norris Church Mailer Scholarship in Creative Writing at Wilkes University. The widow Mrs. Mailer presented the award to Ms Yejidé at an awards banquet at the campus. "Tokyo Chocolate," first featured in the 2009 Willesden Herald Anthology (New Short Stories 3), will also be featured in the fall issue of the Hiroshima, Japan based magazine Yomimono. Other stories by Morowa Yejidé have since been published in Bananafish Magazine and Jersey Devil Press.

New Short Stories 4 author wins big prize

Society of Authors' 2010 Awards, London, 15 June 2010

Very pleased to report that twice Willesden Herald short story competition finalist Carys Davies has been awarded the Olive Cook Short Story Award for her story 'The Quiet'. The award, worth £1,000 and judged by Jane Gardam and Jacob Ross, was set up in 2004 and is awarded every two years. Carys Davies joins the impressive list of previous recipients, Claire Keegan, Bethan Roberts and Alison Macleod. (Willesden Herald)

Read "Precious" by Carys Davies in New Short Stories 4.

New Short Stories 4 now out

The book was launched at a special event this evening in Charles Dickens' house, 48 Doughty Street, London. The results of the Willesden Herald short story competition 2010 were revealed at the end of the evening.

The 2010 prize mug goes to:
"The Architects" by Wena Poon

Equal runners-up:
"Emily Strabnow's Freckles" by Willie Davis
"Falling" by Henrietta Rose-Innes

Richard Peabody says:
"In my next life I'm coming back as the brainy talented author of "The Architects." Talk about brazen, submitting a story about a contest to a writing contest. Does it work? Check. The focus might well be on writers—the same dynamics of love, jealousy, sex, and mentors, applies. New York City is captured in amber. Check. Foreign-born exiles get their due. Check. Authentic dialogue squeezes out sparks. Check. Jokes? Check. Do the juggled balls remain in the air? Check. Yes, I want to be this author, who like a sly child with an Erector Set creates miraculous buildings out of thin air."



The fourteen top short stories for 2010 are included in New Short Stories 4, which is now available.

• Buy the book direct from the publisher
• Amazon.co.uk (UK, Ireland, Europe)
• Amazon.com (Rest of the world)
• More about the book

Steve Moran reading the result

New Short Stories 4 preview

The shortlisted stories for the Willesden short story competition 2010, adjudicated by Richard Peabody, are:

Busy. Come. Wait. - Tom Vowler
Emily Strabnow's Freckles - Willie Davis
Falling - Henrietta Rose-Innes
In the Land of Flies - Julia Goubert
Letters - Nuala Ní Chonchúir
Love and Longing in the Marvellous City - Jonathan Attrill
Monkey Hat - Kevin Spaide
Precious - Carys Davies
The Architects - Wena Poon
Veronika and Roger-Roger - Toby Litt

Also highly commended:

Hope Street - Paul McGuire
Learning Stick - Jarred McGinnis
Pearl - Peggy Riley
Shutters - Jo Cannon

All will be included in the forthcoming anthology "New Short Stories 4". There will now be a very long wait till the results event when we'll be revealing which story takes the prize mug. The date could be as far ahead as end of March I'm hearing*, which I know is a long drag but at least spring may have arrived by then. Meanwhile here's to the short story. Cheers!

* New Short Stories 4 launch and results announcement: Saturday 10 April, The Charles Dickens Museum. Invitation only.

Update 10/4/2010: New Short Stories 4 launched