Brought to Book
The Winners of the 1994 IAN ST JAMES AWARDS.The 1994 Ian St James Awards attracted the greatest number of entries – and the highest calibre of finalists – in the history of the competition up to that point.There is a mixture here of shorter and longer stories which are as diverse as they are entertaining.Each of the authors starting a career in this book was selected from thousands of entries.
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BROUGHT TO BOOK
The winners of the 1994 Ian St James Awards
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
The Secret of the Lake ©Jackie Kohnstamm 1994; She’s Only a Doll © Stephanie Ellyne 1994; The Food of Love © Sue Camarados 1994; A is for Axe © Mike McCormack 1994; The Welfare of the Patient © Anna McGrail 1994; Prospero’s Other Island © Vivien Gaynor 1994; The Day the Wolfman Ate My Sister © Peter Caley; Magdalen © Alison Armstrong 1994; The Home-grown Boys © Tom Smith 1994; Metropolitan Love © Kate Lincoln 1994; Hooks © Clare Stephens Girvan 1994; The Saviour ©Joshua Davidson 1994; White Chrysanthemums © Bronia Kita 1994; The Fool © Kirk O’Connor 1994; A Poetry Reading on Riverside © David Evans 1994; The Possibility of Jack © A. S. Penne 1994
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9780006493600
Ebook Edition © NOVEMBER 2016 ISBN: 9780008235444
Version: 2016-11-22
Contents
Jackie Kohnstamm
Stephanie Ellyne
Sue Camarados
Mike McCormack
Anna McGrail
Vivien Gaynor
THE DAY THE WOLFMAN ATE MY SISTER
Peter Caley
Alison Armstrong
Tom Smith
Kate Lincoln
Clare Stephens Girvan
Joshua Davidson
Bronia Kita
Kirk O’Connor
David Evans
A. S. Penne
Don’t bother trying to be a writer – there are far too many people at it already.
Well, that’s the sort of attitude that some people in the business seem to have. Publishers, agents and magazine editors are very busy people. Sources of encouragement for new writers are as rare as rhinos in Reigate. For this reason alone, the annual Ian St James Awards for short fiction are vital. Each year, sixteen writers who have not yet published a novel see their work appear in the anthology. Another sixty–four runners–up are published in Acclaim, the bi–monthly magazine launched so that the Awards could help more new authors into print.
This year, the organizers received four thousand two hundred and twenty–five entries. A vast team of professional readers made a full report on each story and all entrants received a copy. From these critiques, a shortlist of eighty was drawn up and then seven judges, myself included, selected this anthology. The administrators of the Awards are often asked what the criteria are (not least by the judges themselves). Actually, it’s very simple. The length of the stories varies from 2,000 to 10,000 words. The subject matter can be anything except work for children; the style ditto. This year’s book includes fiction which could be called experimental, romantic, literary or fantastical; often within the confines of one story. Winning tales come from Britain, Ireland, the USA, Canada and Greece. If you want to know what sort of story to write the only real answer is – a good one. It’s a subjective judgement, of course, and tastes always vary but, by and large, writing which stands out is sprightly, original, individual and, above all, written from the heart. Whether you love the work in this collection or hate it, they are all stories which impressed us in some way or another.
Thanks are due then to my fellow judges – especially Ian St James for his continued support and Nick Sayers, Deputy Publishing Director, HarperCollins Trade Division. It is never easy for a publisher to justify a book containing work by virtually unknown writers. HarperCollins’ involvement with these Awards is a highly welcome demonstration of their commitment to new and exciting work. This year, the Awards have also benefited from the support of pensions specialists NPI, who printed and distributed thousands of entry forms, and from Elysée, who have presented all shortlisted writers with fountain pens. Looking ahead, the organizers would like to be able to introduce new ideas; reduce the entry fees to widen participation from writers across the world, increase the print run and distribution of
