“What a pleasure it has been to see all the entries for the Chairman’s Prize of the King Lear Prizes. As you will remember, we set up the Chairman’s Prize in addition to the original prizes to make sure as many people as possible could take part. That means that if you entered this category, you will be a youngster (60-69 year olds), a professional, or so creative that your work didn’t quite fit the rules for other categories!

We had almost 3,000 entries for the Chairman’s Prize, and from that we have picked 22 shortlisted entries, and a number of highly commended entries.

I am delighted to say that we have been able to raise a relatively small amount of extra prize money for the Chairman’s Prize. Therefore in addition to the overall winner (£1,000 prize), we will also be awarding three runners-up prizes (£100 each). In such a strong field, it’s still not going to be an easy decision!

Thank you again all for taking part, and keep up the creativity!”

Andrew Browning

Chairman, King Lear Prize Committee

Drama

Train of Thought

By Malcolm McKee

The Next Ivan Sheransky

By Jim Geogham

“I knew an actor who was quiet, slow moving and glum.  One day he looked especially sad.  He auditioned for the role of a dead body and did not get it.   I said "It's probably because you're so full of life."  And he replied "That's what I think."  I knew I had a short play.”

Teresa’s Green

By Geraldine Aron

Villancico for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra

By Frederick Naftel

“For this work, I imagined the Renaissance court of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, where a wedding or other celebration was taking place. The music is inspired by Renaissance dance and early Spanish nationalism and is intended to be graceful and lyrical in equal measure. The guitar solo replicates the sound of the Spanish "vihuela", a 15th century fretted plucked instrument.”

Lockdown Blues

By Antoni Grimaud

Alkanet Everywhere

By Howard Thomas

“During these 6 months of solitary, I exercised by taking a daily walk on the many different paths around the village.

On returning from one of these excursions I made an instrumental recording of my impressions recalling, among other things, bird and insect songs, wind in young and ancient trees, and the distant sounds of agricultural machinery, livestock and light aircraft.

And everywhere, everywhere, in gardens, hedgerows, field margins and roadside verges, there was an unforgettable profusion of green alkanet.”

Poetry

Grace

By Peter Lindley

The Same Inside

By Eleanor Andrews

“Years ago, when I was at school in Godalming, Surrey, I won a local poetry competition in the Surrey Advertiser. My very good friend, Ann Eatwell, saw the King Lear competition, and on the basis of my previous success, persuaded me to enter.

One thing that happens as you grow older is that the exterior of your body changes, but you feel the same inside.  This poem is about how the feelings of fear, inadequacy and loneliness from my youth are still there, despite the experience which comes with old age. My poetic inspiration has always been Gerard Manley Hopkins.”

Stand Up and Be a Man

By Rachel Warner

“I am a member of my local Women's Institute and every month we have a competition with a theme. The particular theme was WW2 so I decided to write a poem. Someone at the meeting mentioned that they thought all young men should do time in the forces as they did in the war but I thought about the young men who would not flourish in this environment. So I wrote my poem about a Father who also thought that young men should fight for their country, regardless of what the consequences would be and how the young men felt.”

Locked Out

By Jo Sanders

Hangman

By Kevin Short

“The inspiration behind ‘Hangman’ was born by thoughts of greater powers deciding our personal and united fate. Destiny may be a divine dream, guiding us to other paths from which to choose, but the hand of fate will decide when our visit is done.”

Short Story

Sink or Swim: The Knitted Swimming Costume

By Dorothy Jenkins

God’s Will

By Marie Maher

“I have always loved all things mystery and murder, and although I normally write more light-hearted whodunits, was inspired to write this when a new neighbour moved into my street. It got me thinking: are people who they say they are? Do we have to take people at face value? I thought, I would expound on this in my work, and it has been a new and enjoyable experience for me to write this darker version. I hope everyone who reads it enjoys it too.”

One Woman’s Life of Crime

By Alison Rooks

“The idea for this story has been buzzing in my head for some time, since I noticed that, as a somewhat invisible ‘older woman’ I reckoned I could literally get away with murder. This competition inspired me to actually sit down and write it.”

No Particular Place to Go

By Bonnie Meekums

“I write a blog, documenting my own journey as an ageing woman in the UK. Older adults are just that - adults, with minds of their own, and rich stories of lives fully lived. My mum died in 2011, aged 96. She was a lot like Stella. Despite disability, frailty and constant pain, she never stopped being interested in the world around her, or the people in it. She was still a thinker, prepared to learn and change her opinion about things, and fiercely independent, wherever she could be.”

Letters from the Marigold Cafe

By Jonathan Campbell

“When I was a child in the late 1950s, my mother was suddenly taken away from our home. My grandmother looked after myself and my brothers while she was in a remote mental hospital. We were not allowed to visit her but wrote letters every week and she wrote back from a little village cafe.

It has taken me over 60 years to feel able to write down my memories of that time and to imagine how she faced the isolation and separation from loved ones that unfortunately is now affecting so many families.That also has been my inspiration. “