Books / Short Stories
Bristol academic shortlisted for prestigious international writing competition
Jess Farr-Cox, Senior Teaching Associate in Academic Skills at Bristol University, is in the running to win this year’s Bristol Short Story Prize.
The Bristol-based competition, now in its 11th year, attracts entries from all over the world, and is one of the UK’s most prestigious open writing competitions.
Jess’ short story, Dogging, is one of 20 stories vying for the top prize, and it will be published in this year’s Bristol Short Story Prize anthology by Bristol-based Tangent Books, along with the other 19 shortlisted stories.
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Jess, who is also a graduate of Bristol University, says: “My short story is about moving through the stages of grief. It involves fridge magnets, an abandoned Great Dane and a trombonist, and is told from two entirely separate points of view (a man and women who never actually meet). I am absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted, because what I want most as a writer is to be read and understood. The two narratives (and indeed the title) don’t make sense until the very last few lines of the story.
“Being shortlisted means, firstly, that someone bothered to read all the way to the end; secondly, they grasped what it was I was trying to do; and thirdly, more people will get to read it when it appears in the anthology.”
Bristol University academic, Jess Farr-Cox, has been shortlisted for the 2018 BSSP, and will be published in the prize anthology.
The cover of the anthology has been designed by Valentina Vinci, a recent graduate of the Illustration degree course at UWE. BSSP run an annual project with the course where 3rd year students submit designs for the cover, one of which is chosen for the publication.
Jess will find out if she has won this year’s competition at the Bristol Prize awards ceremony, hosted by the Central Library on Saturday October 13.
The anthology will be available in bookshops and online from Monday October 15. For more information, visit www.tangentbooks.co.uk/bristol-short-story-prize/pre-order-bristol-short-story-prize-vol-11.html
Read more: University of Bristol Librarian Wins “Life-Changing Prize
Main photo: The 20 writers who have been shortlisted for this year’s Bristol Short Story Prize
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