Friday 4 September 2009

SEÁN Ó FAOLÁIN 2009 SHORTLIST

The 2009 shortlist and commendations for the Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story comp have been announced. Here are Philip ó Ceallaigh's choices as judge:

(alphabetical order)

"Snow" by Elaine Barnard, California, USA

"Cold Cut" by Alexa Beattie, CT, USA

"Harm" by Michael Copperman, Oregon, USA

"Southern Hospitality" Alyn Fenn, Co.Cork, Ireland

"My Friend Joe" by David Mohan, Co. Dublin, Ireland

"The Mason's Tale" by Alec Solomita, MA, USA

"Holding On" Sheena Wilkinson, Co. Down, N. Ireland



Commendations

(In order of entry)



“The Shaman Can’t Call the Spirit Home” Benjamin Arda Doty, Mn, USA

“Scattered Teeth” Tabitha Roemish, Seattle, USA

“The Statistician” Richard Scarsbrook,Toronto, Canada

“The Fallen Cone” Sasha Margolis, Ohio, USA

“Nel Mezzo del Camin” James Moynihan, Cork, Ireland

“The Sky at Night” Robert Keaton Mac Donald, California, USA

“Giving Up” Gerry McCullough, Northern Ireland

“The Girl in the Window” Brian Kirk, Dublin, Ireland

“Island Shaman” René J. Navarro, Pennsylvania, USA

“The Girl at the Fair” Howard Petote, North Carolina, USA

“ Italian Lesson” Grace French, Dublin, Ireland

“The Grind” Dónal Moloney, Waterford, Ireland

“Waiting for the Bullet” Madeleine D’Arcy, Cork, Ireland

“The Boys” Emily Firetog, Dublin, Ireland

“Dancers” Andrew Fox, Dublin, Ireland

“Losing Amanda” Andrew Rogers, North Carolina, USA

“Never, Ever bring this Up Again” Luke Woods, New York, USA

“A Smudge of Color” Chris Nicholson, New York, USA

“The Cost of Fuel” Kathryn Hively, New Jersey, USA

"Dilation" Beverly Parayno, California, USA

7 comments:

Tania Hershman said...

Congrats to all! No familiar names, very exciting to see many potential new favourite writers for me. (Yes, I'm being magnanimous, since I bombed in this comp :) )

Group 8 said...

I know David Mohan & Alyn Fenn - both of whom have been winning lots of comps in the last few years.

And I s'listed Benjamin A Doty last year!

Good luck to all.

Rachel Fenton said...

Some very intriguing titles there...I'll add them to my reading list, which is like a magician's pocket handkins, and aspire to meet them one day!

Michael Copperman said...

Are you folks particularly familiar with this Prize, then (WRW, you judged this competition?)? I'm on the shortlist ("Harm," Michael Copperman), but submitted to it blind after seeing it in Poets and Writers. The weird thing is that there was no notification of the shortlist-- I had no idea I was on it until yesterday, when I thought that the contest deadline might be past...

Also, in looking at the shortlist and the awards, I was trying to understand why they would shortlist 7 stories, but then give publication/money to six... that seems a bit cruel for unlucky number 7.

Group 8 said...

Hi Michael
Firstly congrats! I'm not involved with the prize but I will contact the admin and ask them for you, if you like?
I know my shortlistees were all contacted last year, so I'm not sure why you weren't. Presumably you provided an email address?
I think the shortlist is probably expanded to seven, rather than that one will be unlucky.
All good wishes,
Nuala

Michael Copperman said...

Thanks, Nuala. I emailed them and found out they'd gotten my email address wrong in notification. My thanks for your kind words!

Mike

Group 8 said...

No probs. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!