I recently had the pleasure to enter a short story contest being held by Skint Writer.
When I found out I’d been given the reader’s choice award I was both astonished and incredibly excited. It’s rather a nice feeling to think that someone liked what you wrote enough actually to vote for it.
Skint writer’s given away various prizes for this contest and mine arrived in the post today, three of his published works. I haven’t had time to read them all yet, but I have started into his book of poetry, “The Words in Me”, and was bowled over by the power of his piece on 9/11, entitled ‘Twin Towers’.
I won’t copy it here, but I would recommend that you read it if you get a chance because it’s very powerful and almost visceral in its quality. It’s brilliantly done and he (not giving away too much here) characterises the Twin Towers as two lovers, which is quite a unique way of looking at it. There are other pieces which I’ve read that are worthy of discussion, but that particular piece was so unique I thought I’d mention it now.
Thank you very much, Skint, for the lovely prizes. It was a greatly exciting thing to have two parcels to open this morning. And thank you to everyone who voted for my story and got me the prizes. I’m really very grateful and very excited by it all, especially considering how wonderful all the stories were. The first prize winner, Robert Kent, wrote a fantastic story with a great ending. If you want to read the contest stories you can visit them here.
Amin, I certainly think the prize was well deserved. You are a better writer than you think. And you’ve interested me in getting ahold of Skint’s poetry.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. I wish I could tell you I thought you were wrong; unfortunately, I see the same things you do.
Thanks Amin, I am delighted that you are so happy with the prizes – and you are a well-deserved winner
WA, I hope you do read Skint’s poetry. It’s got a particularly British feel to it which I think you’ll enjoy. And it’s a good read, which always helps!
On your other point I find a critical examination of the current world state is always depressingly dark. There are odd patches of light, but, honestly, I see such abject dysfunction in the world – at the global level and also down to local level.
Then things pop up like Sam’s tribute to his sister and your tribute to some of those who fell and I find it very…humanizing. I can’t think of a better word at the moment, but uplifting, hope-inducing. That sort of thing. I’m sure I’ll think of the perfect word once I hit the publish button. But I think you get my drift.
Congratulations on your win, Amin. I know the cherishd feeling of opening parcels and other nicetis in the post.
Thank you, Susan.
It’s a lovely feeling to get a parcel and rip it open, anticipating what’s inside, like a little child at Christmas. And especially nice when the gift is a collection of books. I have a stack of them, waiting to be read, on my shelf and I’ve realised that if I live to be 150 I will never read even a small percentage of the books I would love to read.
But I’ll get to as many as I possibly can in the time allotted to me, that’s for sure!