BSSA 2016 Longlist

Congratulations to everyone who reached the long list of this year’s award and a big thank you to all the  writers who entered from around the globe. We received 1439 entries this year – stories from 45 different countries, covering most of the letters of the alphabet!

We appreciated all the wonderful story telling in this far-ranging cultural mix – traditionally structured stories, experimental ones, poetic pieces, unusual points of view and many stories with interesting settings. Coming-of-age themes featured strongly, as did stories about current world issues, including conflict and loss in all its forms.

In our reading team we have thirteen people of different ages, all experienced writers who are  passionate about the short story form. It was challenging to choose the final selection from some strong contenders and at 64 stories, the list is longer than usual.

2016 Bath Short Story Award Longlist
Story Title Author
A Balcony of Birds Keeley Mansfield
A Different Self 0livia Kiernan
A hesitating heart feels the touch of a gentleman Charlotte Seymour
A Marriage of Convenience Kathy Stevens
Almost Home Barry McKinley
An Excellent Panoply  Ann Rowlands
Ash Miranda Luby
Avocet Clare Reddaway
Being Here Jude Cook
Blessing Bunmi Ogunsiji
Boom! Sorted Anne Heath
Braces Nick Werber
But Beautiful Sophie Wellstood
Cake Marilyn Messenger
Comfort Cherise Saywell
Curators Philippa Found
Cut Kelly Hallam
Dancing Turtle Thomas Atkinson
Dandelion and Roses Christina Sanders
Dragonflies Barney Walsh
Eva’s Eden Katy Wimhurst
Feather Your Nest Anne O’Brien
Fish Fingers Amy  J. Kiirkwood
Forbidden Fruit Janis Lane
Generally Accepted Accounting Practice Anne Kilminster
Gull Harriet Kline
Hedgehopping Mark Johnson
Here Come The Empties Pauline Rooney
Honeycomb City Katie Hall-May
House of Flowers Josie Turner
I Dare You Eileen Merriman
Light like you Sara Collins
Little red jacket  Jenny Morris
Lolly Edna Axelrod
Loved Locked Emma Murray
Me and Malachi Rachel Huxley
Mr Artist Kate Jefford
Mrs. Li William Pei Shih
Nighthawks Molia Dumbleton
Paradoxes of Zeno John Langan
Say you Sara Collins
Searching for Silver Darlings Jacky Taylor
Smoke Alys Conran
Statement Vanessa Brooks
Still Roaring Wendy Stedman
Stop all the Clocks Emma Staughton
Sundown  Tom Bryan
The Azalea Tree Fflur Dafydd
The Bridge Jennifer Harvey
The Death of Garcia Gabriel Marquez Jude Box
The Earth on the Way Down Margaret Dolley
The Edges of Sound Teresa Stenson
The Green Heart Dave Swann
The Last Toast Cafe Becca Langton
The Mountain Mark Pederson
The Nor’wester Zoe Owens
The Purple File Kerry Hood
The Right Thing to Do Peter Burns
The Tiny Lies Mandy Huggins
Though the Waves Toss Rhiannon Bull
Tribal Marks Marie Gethins
We Were Curious About Boys Ingrid Jendzrejewski
White Flags Rupert Dastur
Who said the river was red Alison Powell