Fiction

Competitions I’ve Won Prizes In

BBC Opening Lines, 2010 (The Amazing Arnolfini and His Wife)

Shortlisted, Bristol Short Story Prize, 2010 (rZr and Napoleon)

3rd prize, City of Derby Short Story Competition, 2009 (Return to Cairo)

Supplementary prize, Bournemouth Short Story Competition, 2009 (The Problem with Pork)

3rd prize, Calderdale Short Story Competition, 2009 (Possible Side Effects)

1st prize, Earlyworks Press “Old Magic in a New Age” Competition, 2009 (Nature’s Banquet)

2nd prize, Milton Keynes Speakeasy Competition, 2008 (Fishermen’s Tales)

2nd prize, City of Derby Short Story Competition, 2008 (The Amazing Arnolfini and His Wife)

3rd prize, Winchester Writers’ Conference Shorter Short Story Competition, 2008 (Mr Nathwani’s Haiku)

2nd prize, Bournemouth Literary Festival Erotic Writing Competition, 2007 (At Nana’s) [Quote from Mitzi Szereto, the judge: "Sexual description very realistic", which is probably the best critique I am ever likely to get; more on the joys of writing smut here]

3rd prize, University of Hertfordshire Writing Award, 2007 (Convalescence)

Competitions I’ve Been Listed In

Shortlisted, JBWB Short Story Competition, Spring 2010 (How I Became a New Man and What Good It Did Me)

Shortlisted, Fish Short Story Competition, 2009 (rZr vs Napoleon)

Commended, Southport Writers’ Circle Short Story Competition, 2009 (The Last Words of Emanuel Prettyjohn)

Shortlisted, Global Short Story Competition, September 2009 (The Magnolia Bedroom)

Highly commended, JBWB Short Story Competition, Autumn 2009 (Unquiet)

2nd place, Whittaker Prize, 2009

Commended, Leaf Nano-Fiction Competition, 2009 (Think Tank)

Longlisted, Cadenza Competition, September 2008 (Piss and Patchouli)

Shortlisted, Café Doom 4th Anniversary Competition, 2008 (The Future of Photography)

Runner-up, txtlit, September 2008

Finalist, Poetic Asides Fake Bio Contest, 2008

Highly Commended, JBWB Short Story Competition, Summer 2008 (Catch of the Day)

Longlisted, Cadenza Competition, March 2008 (Somewhat Less Than Thirty Pieces)

Shortlisted, Fish One Page Story Competition, 2008 (Visiting Time)

Longlisted, Fish Short Story Competition, 2007 (Meat)

3rd place, Children-in-Need Marathon Flash Competition, 2007 (Dog Mathematics)

Highly Commended, Winchester Writers’ Conference One Page Story Competition, 2007 (Journeys End in Lovers Meeting)

Commended, Winchester Writers’ Conference Writing for Children Competition, 2007 (Paper Chase)

Highly Commended, Ian St James Awards, 1993 (Meat)

Olive Oil, Independent Magazine Writing Competition, 1992 (The Russian Experience)

Champagne, Independent Magazine Writing Competition, 1992 (Winn-E the Pooh)

Stories I’ve Had Published

Generally speaking, it would be wise to anticipate that these pieces contain some adult content. Although it’s only fair to say that if that’s all you’re after, you may be disappointed.

Oh, How She Changed! (Everyday Weirdness, August 9th, 2010)

The Wrong Thing to Say (Fifty-Two Stitches, August 1st, 2010)

The Colour of Criticism (Every Day Fiction, July 17th, 2010)

Piss and Patchouli (Litro, May 2010)

Mirror, Mirror (The Best of Every Day Fiction Two)

Opening the Box (The Best of Every Day Fiction Two)

Opposites (Vestal Review Dirty Dozen, January 2010)

The Language of Angels (Eclectic Flash, January 2010)

Farewell Symphony (The Rhinocerous and His Thoughts: The Best of the Whittaker Prize 2009)

The Magnolia Bedroom (The Rhinocerous and His Thoughts: The Best of the Whittaker Prize 2009)

The Greatest Disciple (Fifty-Two Stitches, December 27th, 2009)

The Miracle at Hightop Farm (The 12 Days of Christmas, December 21st, 2009)

An Unsuitable Replacement (Nothing to Dread: A Niteblade Anthology)

Canine Mathematics (Sparks Night, November 3rd, 2009)

What Today’s Well-Dressed Mind Parasite is Wearing (Fifty-Two Stitches, September 27th, 2009)

Natural Selection (Short Story Radio)

Hidden Shallows (Every Day Fiction, September 1st, 2009)

‘Ello, ‘Ello, What’s All This Ear, Then? (Gloom Cupboard, August 31st, 2009)

What Jesus Said (Residential Aliens, August 2009)

Borges’ Labyrinth (10Flash, Issue 1, July 1st, 2009)

Ignorance of Chemistry (Every Day Fiction, May 29th, 2009)

Farewell Symphony (Tales of the Decongested, April 24th, 2009)

Opening the Box (Every Day Fiction, April 23rd, 2009)

A Plague of Yellow Plastic Ducks (The Abacot Journal, Spring 2009)

Rebel Without Applause (The Right-Eyed Deer Issue 2, April 2009)

After Michelangelo (What Stirs the Spring, Obstacle Productions, March/April, 2009)

The Birdman of Farringdon Road (Litro, March 2009)

Post- (Flash Scribe, March 18th, 2009)

Welcome to the Hive (Flash Scribe, March 9th, 2009)

Desert Culture (Bewildering Stories, February 16th, 2009)

Mirror, Mirror (Every Day Fiction, February 2nd, 2009)

Breathe In, Breathe Out (Greyling Bay, January 19th, 2009)

Anniversary Feast (Fifty-Two Stitches, January 11th, 2009)

Internal Affairs (Flashshot, January 3rd, 2009)

Somewhat Less Then Thirty Pieces (The Right-Eyed Deer Issue 1, January 2009)

After Michelangelo (A Winter’s Chill, Obstacle Productions, December, 2008)

The Truth About Uncle Joe (The Oddville Press, Volume One, Issue 2, December 2008)

Dislocation (Scratching at Cardboard: The Best of the Whittaker Prize 2008)

Interview with a Zombie (Gene Genii Anthology, December 2008)

Interior Design (Gene Genii Anthology, December 2008)

An Unsuitable Replacement (Niteblade, December 2008)

Restorative Justice (Twisted Tongue Issue 12, November 2008)

Misunderstandings (Tuesday Shorts, November 25th, 2008)

Sweet Sticky Thing (MicroHorror, November 5th, 2008)

Visiting Time (Every Day Fiction, October 15th, 2008)

After Michelangelo (Necrotic Tissue Issue 4, October 2008)

Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions (Liars’ League, September 2008)

The Solution to the Problem (Dog Versus Sandwich, August 18th, 2008)

Frogs (Adrian Graham, August 6th, 2008)

Cock Up (Every Day Fiction, July 28th, 2008)

The Guitarist’s Inheritance (apt Issue 16, July 2008)

The Patience of a Saint (Liars’ League, July 2008)

Tribute Act (Six Sentences, July 5th, 2008)

So What Are You Up To These Days? (Six Sentences, May 23rd, 2008)

Canine Mathematics (Smokebox Issue 52, April 2008)

Convalescence (University of Hertfordshire anthology, Vision, 2007)

Accidental Death of a Manager (Freelance Informer, January 4th, 1994) [In case you're wondering why the long break between 1994 and 2007, well, I'm wondering too; maybe this lot has something to do with it]

Forthcoming Attractions

The Amazing Arnolfini and His Wife (BBC Radio 4, August 18th, 2010)

‘Ello, ‘Ello, What’s All This Ear, Then? (SPARKS, September 7th, 2010)

Anthologies I’ve Been Published In