Mslexia

Mslexia, the magazine for women who write | www.mslexia.co.uk

Competition winners 2008

Sarah Klenbort

When the phone rang I thought it was somebody coming to book club who was lost, or someone trying to sell me something…. When Daneet introduced herself and said she was calling from Mslexia, I couldn't believe it! I thought maybe, just maybe, I won Third Prize. I was shocked when she said I'd won First Prize in the Short Story Competition, and that it was 2,000 pounds. (The most I've ever gotten paid for one piece of writing is $225.) I thought, ‘How am I going to keep this secret for an entire month?!?’  

When I hung up the phone, I told my husband, who replied, ‘Are you sure it wasn't a prank call?’ What a faithless man?!! (He's generally very supportive.)

I don't usually enter contests – I've entered about ten in my life. They always seem to me like playing Lotto, which I don't do.  But I guess it happens that sometimes you win! It's such a thrill – thank you, Mslexia!

When Daneet introduced herself and said she was calling from Mslexia, I couldn't believe it!

(I've been told that writers should ration exclamation points, and use at most seven a year. But I can't help but exceed my ration in writing about the sheer excitement of this news!!!)

Read Sarah Klenbort's winning Story: Love: A Painting

Read more about Sarah Klenbort.

Anne Bentley

Such wonderful news! Beyond my biggest hopes. Coming Second was a real validation for my work and reminded me of how important it is to have fellow writers to nurture and challenge it. So I’m eternally grateful to all in The Calstock Writers’ Group without whom this winning story would never have been written.

Read Anne Bentley's winning story: The Journey

Read more about Anne Bentley.

Karen Jones

I was getting ready to go out to celebrate my son’s 16th birthday when the call came from Mslexia. Letting the good news settle, I went back to applying make up, but my hands were shaking so much I probably went out looking like Coco the clown.

We all have our ‘Grail’ – that one magazine we want to have our work published in – and Mslexia has always been mine. Last year I reached the final 50 in the Short Story Competition and I was delighted to get that far. So this year, when I heard the word ‘Third,’ I was both shocked and ecstatic.

Later it dawned on me that Tracy Chevalier, one of my favourite authors, had not only read something I’d written, but had liked it enough to award it a prize. That realisation made the news doubly satisfying.

...when I heard the word ‘Third,’ I was both shocked and ecstatic.

Recently I had lost confidence in my writing. Hopefully this publication will be the boost I need to get out there and submit more work.

And now, I need to find a new Grail…

Read Karen Jones' winning story: The Upside-down Jesus

Read more about Karen Jones.

Short Story Competition page