A few congratulations

Lots of wonderful things happening all round.

First, congratulations to Elizabeth Baines for winning third prize in the Raymond Carver short story contest. Her story, Used to Be, can be read online here. It is stunning, it blew me away, I was literally on the edge of my seat, staring into my screen. I hate reading from the screen, but this story gripped me so absolutely.

Second, congrats to my writing mate Michelle Tandoc-Pichereau for being shortlisted for the Sean O' Faolain short story competition. There were over 700 entries, and Michelle made the final ten, a wonderful achievement.

Congratulations also to Joel for making the shortlist of the Mere Literary Festival, Frances for being one of the finalists in the We Are Many competition, Sarah Hilary for winning a place in the Fish July micro-fiction showcase. And to Douglas, one of the finalists of the Kelpie's Prize 2008, whose novel will be published by Floris Books.

This is what makes being a writer worthwhile - each of these wins, these hits, is accompanied by many, many rejections, and, as I have said before, that's the way it has to be. The sting of the rejection just makes the sweetness of an acceptance even deeper. Well done all!