Prizes/Published

I was delighted to win the 2013 Guardian travel writing competition prize for a family holiday. You can read the piece at Guardian online here

The article on our French trip is published in the Guardian (June 2015) here.

My breakthrough piece which was a real boost was winning the Daily Telegraph ‘Just Back’ travel piece of the year 2009 (£1,200). Click here to read.

I began to send out more work in late 2009 and these are a list of the prizes I’ve won or been shortlisted in and, where possible links.

2024 Writing

Left Luggage published in Sunday Post print edition

2023 Writing

Highly commended (4th) in Sunday Post short story prize

‘Bring Out Your Dead’ story shortlisted in Failing Writers’ Podcast

Short story ‘The Wandering Navvy’ shortlisted Liars’ League competition

Rewards shortlisted in Evening Standard 2023 Stories Competition

Midwinter House published by 13 Bridges Review, Auburn University, Alabama

Digbeth Stories piece published in anthology

Roll the Dice published in Platform for Prose

Flash fiction piece Twelvetrees published

The Disappeared published by East of the Web

2022 writing

Second prize in Crowvus Christmas ghost story competition

‘Follow the Sun’ travel piece about Anglesey published in Travelmag

Annie & Tom flash fic piece longlisted in Failing Writers’ podcast on ‘Love’

2021 writing

My poem ‘Shaky Bridges’ has been published as part of Staffs History Festival here

My short fiction piece on bereavement ‘Shell’ is published by Black Pear Press

My piece One Under about 3 shifts policing the underground is published by Moxy magazine here

My travel piece ‘Refuge’ was long listed and commended in the Bradt New Travel Writer of the Year

My poem ‘Things I could’ve done in Lockdown’ has been published in the Plague Invasion pamphlet in Australia.

2020 writing

Short story ‘The Trolley Woman’ published in Creeping Expansion

Short story ‘The Haunting of Husselbee’ is published on East of the Web here

Article on Telford published in New Towns anthology by WildPress Books click here

Short story called Giffard’s Cross published on Historic Houses website.

My feature on seeking inspiration on local walks published in The Pilgrim https://www.thepilgrim.org.uk/

My short story Shug published in Kiln magazine

Short story ‘Fizzog’ shortlisted in Evesham Literary Festival prize

Non-fiction piece ‘One-Under’ receives a Special Mention in Spread the Word Life Writing Prize.
https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/life-writing-prize-longlist-2020/

2019 writing

Adrift, a ghost story received third place in the Tamworth short story competition

My short story ‘Cabbage Trace’ has been longlisted in the Bristol short story prize 2019. https://www.bristolprize.co.uk/news/2019-bristol-short-story-prize-longlist-announced

‘Silver Sands’ a short story has been published in the University of Chester’s Island Chain anthology

‘Welcome to Midwinter’ was shortlisted in the Evesham Festival of Words short story competition.

‘The May Queen’ published by Platform for Prose – here

2018 writing

Short story ‘Mackerel Point’ chosen as Willesden Herald December story of the month. Click here.

Short story ‘Mackerel Point’ longlisted in Commonwealth Writers’ short story prize

Writing and editing ‘Outlands.’

2017 writing

My short story Pigeon Holes will be published in an anthology by Mantle Press.

Extensive editing of ‘Garage Flowers’

2016 writing

Winner of the ‘Make us Scared’ novel competition (representation and £500) from Madeleine Milburn’s agency

Short story ‘Lye Noon’ read by actor Jack Trow https://www.wmreadersnetwork.co.uk/short-story-podcasts

Shortlisted with ‘Bottled Up‘ in the University of Sunderland short story award.

At home with The Compleat Angler in Travelmag. click here.

My short story ‘Trials’ is editor’s choice in Platform for Prose. Click here.

My short story on the theme ‘For All Time’ has been commended in the Felix Dennis Creative Writing Competition and will be published in Stratford-upon-Avon Lit Fest’s 2016 anthology.

My children’s story has been published by Golden Fleece (US) for its Wee Tales selection.

My piece on driving in France – Going Rental – has been published by Dublin’s Silver Apple Press.

Bradt Publishing is re-printing an updated version of my Stafford-Lichfield journey for its new bus travel anthology.

Platform for Prose has published my short story ‘Aunt Lizzie’s will’ here.

Structo literary magazine is publishing my first review (Sitting Ducks by Lisa Blower) here

2015 writing

Our French Alps holiday is published in the Guardian here.

My short story ‘The Last Chip Supper’ is published in Structo in July.

My short story ‘Trials’ is published in Platform for Prose in August.

My short story about a homeless man is being published in SASH’s (youth homelessness charity) anthology

My flash fiction piece Bishop’s Move can be found in Pygmy Giant.

2014 writing

I published my first novel ‘Blood has the Last Word’ on Kindle. You can find it here.

My short story ‘Mr Bloor’s Secret’ was shortlisted in the 2014 Bridport Prize.

My short story ‘Buried’ was runner up in the first Stoke-on-Trent literary festival Hot Air. It can be read here in the Stoke Sentinel.

‘End of the Road’ my crime short runner-up in GKBC’s international short story competition is published in their free to download ebook here.

‘Out of Season‘ was runner up in SEAM TV’s story jam

My short story ‘The Cut’ was a runner-up in The Oxonian Review’s short story competition 2013. It’s published on their website here.

‘Blue Book’ published in vol 2 issue 2 of East Jasmine Review.

‘First Edition’ a short story about two oddball collectors has been published in The Red Line magazine (from page 28) here.

My short story ‘Boredom’ was awarded second place in IdeasTap – It can be read here.

Casket of Fictional Delights has published my flash fiction piece ‘Last Breakfast’ here.

Everything Stops For Tea – a short story set in Croatia was long-listed in the Frome short story competition.

Travel piece about Liverpool on the theme ‘Reinvention’ placed fifth in Walkabout competition.

My notes on Fife in winter, published in Travelmag here.

2013 writing

My piece ‘Digging for treasure on a Yorkshire beach’ has won the Guardian travel writing (family) prize for 2013. You can read it via the link here.

My short story ‘Tracks and Albums’ has been published on the Londonist website here.

My piece on our eventful canal day trip has been published as the first winner of 2013 in the Daily Telegraph Just Back prize (£200). It can be read here.
My short story ‘Part of the Furniture’ has been published in the 2013 Cheshire Prize for Literature anthology – click here

My short story ‘The End of the Road’ was runner-up in the GKBC International short story competition for crime fiction.

My short story ‘Give Them What They Want’ has been published in the Puffin Review.

My travel article ‘Tale of Two Doctors – Prose and Poison’ has been published in the Bradt book Bus Pass Britain Rides Again. (September 2013)

‘Belonging’ – my short story about moving house has been shortlisted in the Bookmarks Festival competition and will be published in an anthology raising funds for Hand in Hand for Syria.
My short story ‘The Last Chip Supper’ was long-listed in the 2013 Frome Festival short story competition.

On April 23 I read my short story Lye Noon as part of the World Book Night event at Solihull Library.

2012 writing

Short story ‘Lye Noon’ commissioned by Readers’ Network West Midlands. I read this to Lye Down readers’ group and it was published and read in Birmingham’s Seven Minute Stories (November) More here.

Short story ‘The Debt he Carried’ published in London literary magazine Notes from the Underground (November) Click here.

Shortlisted in Foyles ‘Still’ short story competition (October 2012) Click here.

Highly commended in the Independent on Sunday/Bradt travel-writing competition 2012 for ‘Sandbanks and Silver in Shropshire’ (September)

Shortlisted in Erewash Writers’ short story competition for ‘Brown Envelope’ (July 2012) – click here

Winner of monthly World First Travel travel-writing competition (Kindle) for ‘Learning to Swim’ (May 2012) Click here.

Published and long-listed in Walkopedia website for piece on ‘Epping Forest‘ (April)

2011 writing

Runner-up in The Oxonian Review (Univ of Oxford) short story competition for Secrets & Sequins (Nov 2011). Click here

Published in Writers’ Abroad anthology for ‘Spitting Feathers’ (October). Foreword by Alexander McCall Smith. Click here.

Highly commended for ‘Exploring Whitby’ in Havealovelytime.com/English Heritage travel writing competition (Oct 2011). Click here.

Published in Dundee New Writers anthology (October) for ‘George.’

Highly commended, Yeovil 2011 Short Story Prize for Bridge 39 (September) click here

Shortlisted in final 3 for Oxfam/Daily Telegraph 2011 Ox-Travels short story competition. Click here to read. (September)

Winner Daily Telegraph ‘Just Back’ travel piece ‘Scotland’s Secret City’ (July) (£200). Click here to read.

Bradt Travel Guides/Independent on Sunday 2011 travel-writing competition, long-listed. Click here to read.

2009/2010 writing

Guardian Summer Shorts prize shortlisted 2009. Click here to read.

Shortlisted and published in Dundee New Writers anthology 2010 for Westerly. Click here to read.

Shortlisted and published in Zoo, Cheshire Literature Prize for 2010, ‘Death is not the End’ Click here to read.

Daily Telegraph ‘Just Back’ travel piece of the year 2009 (£1,200). Click here to read.

Published in Travelmag website for ‘A bit of Yorkshire that’s falling into the sea.’ (Oct 2011) Click here to read/ Published in Travelmag website for Anglesey travel piece. (July 2011) Click here to read.

Cooldog magazine Summer Scares 1st prize for Ice-Cream Sunday (£100) Click here to read.

Shortlisted and published in Someone has to Die anthology for Where the Bodies are Buried. Click here to read.

Fylde Brighter Writers 3rd prize for Watching (£25). Click here to read.

Shortlisted and published by Whitechapel Society in 1888 anthology for Son of Jack.