The shortlist for the celebrated Rhys Davies Nationwide Brief Story Competitors 2025 has been introduced.
The award recognises the perfect unpublished brief tales in English in any fashion and on any topic as much as a most of 5,000 phrases by writers aged 18 or over who have been born in Wales, have lived in Wales for 2 years or extra, or are presently residing in Wales.
Initially established in 1991, there have been 12 Rhys Davies Brief Story Award contests so far, and in 2021 the competitors was relaunched by Swansea College’s Cultural Institute on behalf of The Rhys Davies Belief and in affiliation with Parthian Books.
The 2025 shortlist:
- At Friday Membership by Ralph Bolland
- Colonial Items by Alan Bryant
- Swim by Miranda Davies
- Politics by Jonathan Edwards
- Exercise Week by Sybilla Harvey
- Fern Child by Natalie Ann Holborow
- Fats Slug Girl by Sian Hughes
- Useless Buddy’s Coat by Kate Lockwood Jefford
- The Man on the Prepare by Keza O’Neill
- Final Phrases by Jonathan Web page
- The Readers by Jonathan Web page
- Fruits of Our Labour by Tess Powell
The general winner will obtain £1,000 and can have their profitable entry featured in The Rhys Davies Brief Story Award Anthology 2025, to be printed by Parthian Books in October 2025.
All 12 tales might be printed within the 2025 anthology, printed by Parthian. Edited by Dr Elaine Canning, Director of Swansea College’s Cultural Institute, the gathering will even embody an introduction by acclaimed fiction author and visitor decide Cynan Jones. The shortlisted writers will even obtain £100.
Cynan Jones mentioned: “Studying by this 12 months’s entries, I used to be actually struck by the trepidation, both deep or overt, that appeared to shadow most of the tales. A shared sense throughout the entries of writing into an unsure world. The twelve items chosen as finalists take care of this trepidation in several methods, typically anarchic, typically poignant, brutal, considerate. Even with hope and subversive delight. However in every case with ambition within the narrative, and ability within the phrases themselves. I used to be searching for memorable tales. For tales that stayed within the thoughts. And after judging the award, one factor is obvious. If there’s trepidation, Wales has the writers to deal with it. These are stand-out examples of how impactful a brief story may be.”
Dr Canning, editor of the anthology, mentioned: “The tales which characteristic on the 2025 Rhys Davies Competitors shortlist switch the reader throughout place and time, highlighting environmental challenges, our relationship with the pure world and the affect of latest, surprising worlds. These are compelling, unique tales about longing, friendship, household, fragility and love. It’s an honour to incorporate the work of the finalists in a particular anthology devoted to this Competitors – many congratulations to all of them.”
Born in Blaenclydach within the Rhondda in 1901, Rhys Davies was among the many most devoted, prolific, and completed of Welsh prose-writers in English. He wrote, in all, greater than 100 tales, 20 novels, three novellas, two topographical books about Wales, two performs, and an autobiography.
The winner might be introduced in September 2025, and the anthology might be launched on Thursday 23 October at Waterstones Swansea, that includes the finalists and general winner, editor Elaine Canning, visitor decide Cynan Jones, and Parthian Director, Richard Davies.
View the 2024 anthology A Dictionary of Light: The Rhys Davies Short Story Award Anthology.
