Fiction Contest Winners

DORETTA LAU

Our 2016 fiction contest was judged by Doretta Lau. Here’s what she had to say about the winning stories:

Leslie Beckmann’s precise language in “Genus and Species” has a scientific beauty to it, imposing a sense of order within a chaotic world. Every word in this story drives the narrative forward in a concise and surprising fashion, while creating an expansive emotional landscape.

From the opening line “After worrying that a stranger has planted drugs on you, that you will be found out and sentenced with the death penalty,” Leanne Dunic’s “SIN” is charming and disarming. The narrative traverses a wide swath of cultural terrain: Rihanna, a Singaporean food centre, the Chinese zodiac. The language is sensuous, making the meditation upon body, mind, and spirit a visceral experience.

Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to everyone who entered. Read “Genus and Species” and “SIN” next, and read our honourable mention, “Garbage Girl” by Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt over at roommagazine.com.