The 2012 Edge Hill Short Story Prize shortlist has been announced and there is a distinct air of femininity about it. For the the first time in the Prize’s six year history, the shortlist is an all-female affair.
Drawn from a record longlist of 31 titles, it would also seem to be the year of the emerging writer with regards to this year’s Edge Hill Short Story Prize – the only literary award which exclusively celebrates UK short story collections – because all but one of the titles in the 2012 shortlist is a debut collection.
The 2012 Edge Hill Short Story Prize shortlist in full, is as follows (links lead to the publisher pages):
Speaking of this year’s shortlist selection, co-ordinator of the Prize and Reader in Creative Writing and English at Edge Hill University, Dr Ailsa Cox said:
It’s quite unusual to have women only on the shortlist but it reflects that the prize is open to anyone, regardless of gender, whether new to the business or well-established in the literary world.
We’re delighted by the sheer quality and diversity of the shortlist. A good short story is intense and exciting, sometimes sad and often very comic. The five collections all have these vital ingredients – so I predict that judging will be difficult this year.
The judging panel which includes 2011 winner Graham Mort, writer and critic Suzi Feay, and former Pro Vice-Chancellor at Edge Hill University, Professor Rhiannon Evans, will now go on to decide on the overall £5000 winner of the Prize, which will be announced at an awards ceremony on 5th July, at the Free Word Centre in London. From this same shortlist a Reader’s Choice prize of £1,000 will also be awarded.
RobAroundBooks extends best wishes and good luck to all shortlisted authors. For further details, including bios of all shortlisted authors, please visit the Edge Hill Short Story Prize website.
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