NEWS: Jane Austen Literary Foundation Competition Win

It's been an exciting week as I found out that I have been lucky enough to win the Jane Austen Literary Foundations' (JALF) short story competition with my piece, The List.

With a theme of 'Inspiration', my short story focuses on the topic of organ donation. This is a hugely important theme to me as, when I lost my Father, his corneas were donated to a man who had lost his sight. Knowing that his eyes were still in the world was my greatest, and sometimes only, source of comfort in the hell of grief.

This is the first time my fiction work has been exposed to the greater public consciousness and the response has been incredible. To hear the emotions that people are experiencing when they read it has been overwhelming at times, and incredibly validating at others. I think it was Hemingway who said 'writers should bleed onto the page,' and when I write fiction, I certainly do. I write what I feel passionate about and love to explore the depths of human feeling; to know it is as affecting to others as it has been to me is beyond explanation.

You can read the story here.

A HUGE well done to everyone who entered the competition; please have a read of the other entrees, there are some fantastic writing and inspirational pieces.