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2006 Prize Winner
The Union initiated the Short Prose Competition in 1993 in
honour of its twentieth anniversary. The Competition aims
to discover, encourage, and promote new writers of short prose.
Entry is limited to writers who are not yet published in book
format, in order to provide opportunity and exposure to developing
writers.
This year, twenty-five Union members donated their time and
expertise to read 246 submissions, distilling them to a shortlist
of twelve strong entries. The final jury — Caroline
Adderson (novelist and short-story writer, Governor General’s
Award nominee, and Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize winner), Kathy
Page (novelist and short-story writer, nominated for the 2005
Governor General's Award for Alphabet), and Andrew
Pyper (best-selling author, and Arthur Ellis Award winner)
— chose the following winner from the shortlist of twelve
contenders.
WINNER
" Brideship"
by Anna Johnston
Anna Johnston's "Brideship" is a vividly imagined
story, told in language that is at once intricate and forceful,
sophisticated and sensual. The author has done her work —
both in the research required in rendering her historical
setting, and the imagination with which she has created her
gutsy characters."Brideship" is an ambitious and
accomplished piece of fiction. (Jury)
Anna Johnston is a recent student of the University of Victoria's
Writing Program and a member of The Malahat Review's editorial
board. She has had fiction and poetry published in the student
journals This Side of West and The Claremont Review, and her
work was recently selected for a 'best of' publication of
The Claremont Review. She currently works in Victoria as a
researcher, where she looks forward to encountering much more
material for her historical fictions.
FINALISTS
“Beading Miss O’Leary’s Wedding Gown”
by Cathy Marie Buchanan
“Elephants in the Sand” by Akoulina K. Connell
“Let the Japanese Do Kamikaze” by John Bandler
”Loose Ends” by Susan Garnham
“Mel” by Sheila McClarty
“Not Quite Nancy Drew” by Pam Bustin
“Rocket-Cars, Hoppers and Heroes” by Ron MacLean
“Still Life With Flowers” by Bev Craddock
”The Gym Garden” by Andrew Binks
“The Passage” by John Blackmore
“The Slava Ladies League Christmas Pyrohy Fiasco”
by John Spychka
READERS FOR THE COMPETITION
Ray Argyle, Thelma Barer-Stein, Jean Rae Baxter, Heather Birrell,
Kathy Buckworth, Sue Donaldson, Betty Dyck, Sarah Ellis, Celia
Godkin, Carolyn Gossage, Nancy Graham, Lynn Harrigan, Marvyne
Jenoff, Ann Jamieson, Robert H. Jones, Simon Leigh, Catherine
MacLeod, Michael Mirolla, Helen Pierera, Bill Schermbrucker,
Debbie Spring, and Halli Villegas.
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