The shortlist for the 2010 Short Story Prize was announced today:
Five diverse writers have been shortlisted for the Edge Hill University Short Story Prize 2010.
The unique accolade, now in its fourth year, is the UK’s only literary award that recognises a published collection of short stories.
This year’s event, which also celebrates Edge Hill University’s 125th anniversary celebrations, attracted entries from a number of distinguished writers and newcomers and the shortlist reflects the sheer variety of talented names in the short story world.
The shortlist is:
- Jeremy Dyson, The Cranes that Build Cranes, Little Brown
- Jane Feaver, Love Me Tender, Harvill Secker
- A.L. Kennedy, What Becomes, Jonathan Cape
- Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Nude, Salt Publishing
- Robert Shearman, Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical, Big Finish
Competition co-ordinator Ailsa Cox, Reader in Creative Writing and English at Edge Hill University, said: “We’re delighted by the quality and diversity of the shortlist. Some of these names are already familiar such as Jeremy Dyson, Rob Shearman and A.L Kennedy. A good short story is intense and exciting, sometimes sad and often very comic. The The five collections all have these vital ingredients – so I predict that judging will be difficult this year.”