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Claire Keenan Wins Edge Hill PrizeMajor UK University Short Story Prize Goes To Walk the Blue FieldsClaire Keegan's 'Walk the Blue Fields' has won the second Edge Hill University Short Story Prize at a ceremony held at the historic Bluecoat Centre in Liverpool.
Claire's collection of short stories is her second book and is published by Faber and Faber. It was highly appropriate that the award should have been made in the Merseyside city given that during 2008 Liverpool is the European City of Culture. The Edge Hill University Short Story Prize and the Judges' VerdictIn addition to the £5,000 cash award, Claire Keegan was also presented with a specially-commissioned glass sculpture symbolising a pearl in an opened oyster shell. The sculpture was made by award-winning glass maker Amanda Notarianniduring. The judges were BBC radio producer Duncan Minshull, Prof. Rhiannon Evans from Edge Hill University and the short story novelist Hilary Mantel. They had the following to say about the winning collection of short stories. "Keegan wrote superbly crafted stories, successfully merging them together as one volume. Her lyricism and dream logic, coupled with the harsh realism of an Ireland wrestling with its past, created a whole world under an uncompromising gaze. The sense of place was acute, and her often sly and dry humour was a constant delight. "She is a young writer who has already staked her claim to genius. Her mastery of language and her full-blooded and flowing narratives impress on the reader a certain bleak and tender vision, which has much in common with that of the great Irish writer John McGahern. Yet it is distinctive, personal and modern. Her stories stand at the strong point where myth and reality intersect. Even in this competitive year, they were in a class of their own." Runners-up in the Edge Hill University Short Story PrizeA second prize of £1,000 was awarded to Simon Robson for his collection of short fiction, 'The Separate Heart', published by Jonathon Cape. A further Readers' Award of £1,000 was made to Christopher Fowler for his short story collection, 'Old Devil Moon', published by Serpent's Tail. A further two short story collections made it onto the short list for the Edge Hill University Prize. They were 'The People on Privilege Hill' by Jane Gardam (publishers Random House) and 'Tiny Deaths' by Robert Shearman (publisher Comma). The Edge Hill Short Story Prize Readers' AwardThe Edge Hill Short Story Prize is unusual in that in addition to the award made by the 'expert' judges, a further award is made by reading groups in the North West region of England. Most of the groups involved in this this year were associated with 'Get Into Reading', an organisation that works with recovering drug abusers, elderly people in day centres, young homeless men, full-time carers, isolated young mums and people with mental health or other chronic illnesses. Many who have difficulties in reading have enagaged with the award by listening to others read to them in the reading groups. Coming just a week before BBC Radio 4's short story competition, the Edge Hill Short Story prize offered some clues about the prizes on offer in the national broadcaster's competition, with Jane Gardam's 'The People on Privilege Hill' making the shortlist and being awarded the £3,000 second prize.
The copyright of the article Claire Keenan Wins Edge Hill Prize in Book Prizes, Lists & News is owned by Alistair McCulloch. Permission to republish Claire Keenan Wins Edge Hill Prize in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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