The 2022 Rhys Davies Short Story Award Anthology launched last Thursday at Waterstones Swansea. This year's collection Cree: The Rhys Davies Short Story Anthology, named after the winning story by English teacher Laura Morris is out now! Order a copy today with only 99p UK postage.
It was a wonderful evening filled with readings from the anthology contributors and questions from the editor of Cree, Elaine Canning and publishing director Richard Davies.
The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition was established in 1991 in commemoration of Rhys Davies who was one of the most prolific and accomplished Welsh prose-writers in English. The writing competition which is in collaboration with Parthian, The Rhys Davies Trust and Swansea University Cultural Institute aims to showcase and celebrate the short story form and writers born or living in Wales.
To read more about Rhys Davies himself do check out the first full biography Rhys Davies: A Writer's Life by Meic Stephens.
'[T]he instinct to dive, swift and agile, into the openings of a story, holds, for me, half the technical art; one must not on any account loiter or brood in the first paragraph' Rhys Davies
This year's anthology features work from: Lindsay Gillespie, Bethan James, Meredith Miller, Laura Morris, Jonathan Page, Matthew G. Rees, Eryl Samuel, Matthew David Scott, Carys Shannon, Anthony Shapland, Satterday Shaw, and Daniel Patrick Luke Strogen.
The twelve stories in this collection explore family connections, unconventional friendships as well as love and loss.
Two sisters search for the last available Christmas tree while coming to terms with their mother’s death; a stammering teen hitches a lift with a Welsh Elvis; a man participates in his ‘endgame’; and a teacher and pupil create their very own time machine. From hillside encounters to conversations in homes, shops and on the street, these are stories about people and place, about relationships and revelations, peppered with memories and re-imaginings. These are stories where some voices are silenced and others get to sing.
You can read the first 1000 words of Laura Morris' winning story here.
Listening to the final cut writers featured in “Cree: The Rhys Davies Short Story Anthology”. Llongyfarchiadau to my talented friend @WriterCarys and all the finalists: can’t wait to get reading. @swanseastones @parthianbooks @SwanseaUni. pic.twitter.com/NqLLx8IGl7
— Nerys Evans (@nerys76) October 13, 2022
Congratulations once again to Laura Morris for her winning story "Cree" and to all the authors in the anthology! And a big thank you to Elaine Canning, guest judge Rachel Trezise and to the Swansea Waterstones team for hosting.
You can order your copy directly from us with only 99p UK postage or pick it up from your local bookshop.
Missed this event and want more - keep an eye on our events page!
