Writers handed honours

A ROOFTOP celebration near the capital’s “Green Line” has honoured local writers and five young visiting winners of the 2018 Commonwealth Short Story Competition.

Hosted by the Centre for Visual Arts and Research, last Wednesday’s reception featured moving readings of Broken Heart, by poet Stefanos Stefanides, and Women of Nicosia by Aydın Mehmetali on the division of their home city, Lefkoşa.

Director-general of the Commonwealth Foundation Vijay Krishnarayan noted a “vibrant diversity” of stories of universal human struggle by more than 5,000 applicants from five continents of the Commonwealth this year.

Overall winner Kevin Jared Hosein, who took the Caribbean regional prize in 2015, triumphed again with his short story, Passage, a search for a mystery woman. The Trinidad and Tobagoborn writer said it was “proof that people care to listen”.

British writer and former videogame producer Lynda Clark scooped the award for Europe and Canada with the creative short story, Ghillie’s Mum, a humorous and poignant take on mental illness. Nigerian-German writer Effua Traoré won for Africa with a tale of a troubled teenager seeking contentment, while the Pacific writer and activist Jenny BennetTuioneto was awarded for a transgender tale with a twist.

Sagnik Datta won the India prize for his surprising short story of a poor village girl chosen to “bear the child of God”.

Shortlisted stories may be read at www.addastories.org.