Siân Preece from Cardiff has been announced as this year’s Rhys Davies Short Story Competition winner by judges Niall Griffiths and Stevie Davies receiving First Prize of £1000. Her story Getting Up is about a young graffiti artist who, on finding some cave paintings, encounters the power, magic and responsibility of art.
Having recently completed an MA in Creative Writing at Cardiff University Siân is now working on a novel and a second short story collection. She said “I love the short story form and I’m delighted to be part of an event that celebrates it in Wales.”
The winners were announced at a prize-giving ceremony in Bar One, Wales Millennium Centre on Tuesday 2 February 2010. The ten equal runners-up in the competition each receiving £100 are: Angela Graham from Cardiff; Robert Hunt from Caerphilly; Clementine Hollister from Newcastle Upon Tyne; Craig Hawes from Briton Ferry; Mike Jenkins from Merthyr Tydfil; Sam Kemp from Blackwood; Dave Lewis from Pontypridd; Joâo Morais from Cardiff; Jeb Loy Nichols from Welshpool and Sarah Wishart from London.
Academi Chief Executive Peter Finch said: “The Rhys Davies Competition is one of the few places that promotes that underrated form – the short story. Short fiction is something we excel at in Wales. The Academi’s Rhys Davies contest identifies the best.”
Kate McAll, Senior Producer of Radio Drama at BBC Wales, also announced at the ceremony that three of the prize-winning stories, Getting Up by Siân Preece, Dammed by Sarah Wishart and Zeina by Craig Hawes, will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 9, 10 and 11 March at 3.30 pm. The stories will be read by Torchwood star Gareth David Lloyd, Pobol y Cwm actress Caryl Morgan and Gavin and Stacey’s Dave Coaches played by Steffan Rhodri.
For further details on the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition and this year’s winners visit: www.academi.org/rhysdavies/
