Six talented young writers, winners of the 2021 Henrietta Branford Writing Competition.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition 2021. This year entries poured in to competition HQ, with the final number well over 300 stories. That is a lot of stories to read. I have been judging this writing competition for several years and this is, without a doubt, the best collection of stories that we have received. It was almost impossible to select six. There were at least 60 stories worthy of winning but, after a lot of reading and re-reading, six winners were selected.
When we read, especially when we read fiction, we become totally absorbed in the meanings on the page. So much so that the sounds and sights of the real world disappear and the words create thoughts and images in our minds in the ‘world’ of the story . We call it being ‘lost in a book’.
A short story is one of the most difficult sort of texts to write because readers must be transported to the ‘story world’ very quickly. I am a genuine reader. As judge, I wanted to be immediately engaged by the opening, eager to read on, enjoying the unfolding plot as it comes to a satisfying conclusion. The six winning stories stood out because the authors, first and foremost, wrote stories that kept me intrigued throughout.
Prue Goodwin June 2021
