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Short story competition 2024

Winners and finalists

We are proud to present the finalists for the u3a short story competition 2024. These top 17 entries were chosen from over 400 entries.

We are delighted to announce the overall winner as Carol Whitehead from Southport u3a in the North West with her story 'Demon Eye'. Second place goes to Veronica Wood from Thameside (Wallingford) u3a in the South East with her story 'One Cent Boy - A Story from Africa' and 3rd place goes to Alice Wakefield from Flintshire u3a in Wales for her story 'A Room With A View'.

All 17 of our finalists receive a copy of the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook, edited by Alysoun Owen and published by Bloomsbury.

Read the top three stories:

Demon Eye

by Carol Whitehead, Southport u3a

North West

One Cent Boy - a Story from Africa

by Veronica Wood, Thameside (Wallingford) u3a

South East

A Room With a View

by Alice Wakefield, Flintshire u3a

Wales

Read the stories from the other finalists, in no particular order:

stairs

Level Three

by Gill Saunders, South Molton u3a

South West

Plan B

by Jon Hunter, Dulwich and District u3a

London

Making a Run for It

by Ian Coldicott, Sutton Coldfield u3a

West Midlands

A French Escape

by Yasmin Gaielle, Thameside u3a

Thameside

The Cleansing

by John Eaves, Ashbourne u3a

East Midlands

Nearly There

by John Clarke, Witham, Essex u3a

East of England

Rescue

by Mary Brown, Stroud u3a

South West

Escape to the Country?

by Patricia Bryans, Blyth u3a

North East

Escape

by Tim Avient, Lyndhurst u3a

South East

Onwards - and Downwards

by Jackie Edmunds, Brightlingsea u3a

East of England

The Good Luck Charm

by Dilys Robinson, Saxon Shore u3a

South East

Escape to Paradise

by Toni Connaughton, Hassocks, Hurst and Ditchling u3a

South East

Maureen

by Caron Parrett, Purbeck u3a

South West

The Banner

by Fara Yasamee, Cleethorpes u3a

North East

Thank you so much to all 39 judges who undertook the mammoth task of judging so many entries this year. The competition could not run without you!

Thank you also to the final four judges who judged the shortlist, Marcia Humphries, Chris Winner, Hilary Jones and Alysoun Owen.

And finally thank you to all entrants to the u3a national short story competition 2024. We hope you enter again next time.

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