ISSSC Winners 2010
The winners of the 2010 UK International Student Short Story Competition as chosen by award-winning writer Jackie Kay are:
1st PRIZE: £1000:
Day 36 by Ahnaf Abdul, Oxford University
2nd PRIZE: £500:
Crossing the Lines by Muhammad Idzwan Husaini, Newcastle University
Joint 3rd PRIZE: £200
Shards by David Molloy, University of East Anglia
&
Chinese Seasons in the Heart of England by Alan Islas-Cital, University of Birmingham
Winner's testimonial
Ahnaf Abdul, a Malaysian studying Law at the University of Oxford, winner of the £1000 first prize in the 2010 International Students Short Story Competition, says:
“When I think about the competition it seems like a string of happy moments. The moment I checked my email and found out I'd been shortlisted. Or when I clicked on the competition's Facebook page and saw the list of winners. Telling my parents and closest friends. Getting that cheque and counting the zeros. Looking at my bookshelf and seeing something with my name in it. Even adding a line to my CV.
I don't think I could pick my favourite moment even if I tried. But two things stand out, not just as happy memories but things which make the future seem a little brighter too. One is the fact that the competition judge Jackie Kay - Jackie Kay! A real poet! And an actual real writer! - read something I wrote and thought it was half-decent. And the other is simply finishing that story, and knowing I've become just a little bit better at writing, at writing about experiences, maybe even at handling new experiences. For me, these two things alone were worth the whole competition.
But there's also prize money and publication, so you should DEFINITELY join!”
Shortlist in full:
10 Rules to Stay British by Sin-yan Gloria Chan, University of Birmingham
Changing From Chocolate All Hot and Melty in the Sun by Meleika Gooneratne, St. George’s University of London
Chinese Seasons in the Heart of England by Alan Islas Cital, University of Birmingham
Crossing the Lines by Muhammad Idzwan Husaini, Newcastle University
Danielle by Ahmed Elsayed Fetit, University of Birmingham
Day 36 by Ahnaf Abdul, Oxford University
Final Year Crisis by Adji Hafiz Sjadzali, University of Exeter
Polar Bear by Eric Kalunga, University of Durham
Puzzled by Zoe Perrenoud, Bangor University
Shards by David Molloy, University of East Anglia
Stopping to Catch Snow on My Tongue by Lucille Valentine, Northumbria University
The Conversion by Grete Brewer-Bakken, Newcastle University
Two Years to Grow Up by Rebecca Brianne Lever, University of St. Andrews
When the Chips are Down by Ayodele Morocco-Clarke, University of Aberdeen
Keep up to date with the competition news by following the competition on Facebook.