Methodist

By Robin Wilson

The Pompous Cello

By Heike Rentel-Thomas

Prisoner 22

By David Griffiths

The Ping-Pong Script

By Julian Fuller

The Last Martian

By Susan Royal

The Bird in the Gilded Cage

By John Paris

Spiced Vinegar and a Handmade Blanket

By Jane Bryenton

A Plane Tree Struck by Lightning

By Rick Tucker

Royal Decree FID DEF TWO SHILLINGS 1953

By Marilyn A Timms

The Fish

By Derham O’Neill

Evie, Wonder of Science

By Frances Knight

The Bridgewater Suite

By Christina Campbell

Andrew Antony - Check Front For Destination

Dee Aolanji - Thanks, Man.

Sue Appleby - Curtain Up

Elizabeth Ashby - The Beige Mac

Nicola Aven - Animal Or Angel

Clifford Ball - Polartank

Ursula Bartlett - The Hitchhiker

Tanya Batstone - A Strange Young Man

Simone Bloom - Last Night I Fell In Love With My Dead Enemy

Jeremy Boaz - The Voice Of The Ex Wife

Steve Bourne - A Bucket Of Feathers

Monika Brewster - Agnes Crystal Needs A Murder

Kim Brooks - Who Changed The Words Orbit

Fiona Bundell - Just A Spoonful Of Sugar

Ken Cairnduff - The Erratic

Fiona Chaney - The Apple Tree

David Christie - When I'm Dreaming

Brian Cleaver - Mortimer

Pam Cocchiara - The Park

Clare Coffey - White Walls

Ross Corrigan - In The Company Of Giants

Perri Dodgson - Unexpected Love

Jane Duncan - God Save The King 

Christine Fincham - My Life My Choice My Way 

Jo Firbank - My Fathers House

Julian Fuller - Sugar

Graham Gillis - Coronations ......And All That.

Jan Gray - Cycle Of Change

David Griffiths - Overcome

Grenville Harding - The Life Of A Bumblebee Queen

Judy Hargreaves - Cry Wolf

Jay Harold - The Fly

Simon Holder - A Cultured Pearl

Christine Holt - Sent To Coventry

Aeddan Howells - The Professor Of Persian Studies

Linda James - Locked Out

Andrew Johnston - For Ever And Ever

Andrew Johnston - A Smart Alec

Irving Jones - The Jersey Lily

Doreen Langhorn - The Dream Maker

Doreen Langhorn - Use It Or Lose It

Doreen Langhorn - Simply Gorgeous!

Suzanne Langrish - Time To Go

Suzanne Langrish - Breakout

Anthony Lee - Manoeuvres In Pyjamas

Sue  Lesser  - Imelda's Revenge

Steve Martin - A Ghost In Puncak

Sue May - The Message

Barrie McDonald - Gordon

Anne Marie McGuigan - A Letter To My Love

Anna Meakin - The Prince Of Darkness

Terry Dawn Middle - Study In Black

Peter Mills - Crumbs

Mary Nolze - Maisie

John O'Brien - A Fandango Or A Farrago?

Thomas O'Mara - Car

Richard Orritt - There

Richard Ostler - Fluffy Bunny's Birthday Party

Chris Plato - Priceless

Linda Powell - Hands

Debra Riddell - Cancer Is (Not) A Dirty Word

Robert Roberts - Precious Gift

Andrew Robson - A Delicate Privilege

Maureen Ross - Alice's Pamphlet - The Cat With A Red Sequinned Bow

Peter Savile - Just A Scratch

Christopher Serle - The Beam Of Light

Sally Sheppard - The Day We Crowned A King

Sabrina Simpson - Sara And The Reptilian Brain

Sally Somerville - Another Ancient Mariner

Mark Tobin - Fresh Starts

Claire Topp - Empty Vessels

Jane Turner - No Card From The King

Eira Vobe - The Scarecrow

Eira Vobe - Parting Of The Ways

Andrew Webster - Political Meeting

Julie Adams - The Price Of Everything

Elizabeth Andreoli - Taking The Pip

Janet Berenson - Mirror, Mirror

Janet Berenson - Perfect Rest

Dianne Bown-Wilson - By Appointment Only: Marika's Studio Of Dreams

Barbara Bridger - The Last Lockdown

Keith Bullock - A Birthday To Remember

Cathy Cade - When To Keep Your Mouth Shut

Richard Clark - Ecophilia

Lyle Closs - God Save

Jean Cooper Moran - The Venetian Boy At The King's Court

Cherrill Copperwheat - The Marsh

Cherrill Copperwheat - The Kiss

Ros Cordiner - The Colonel's Morning Stroll

Elizabeth Cox - Still Waters

Zoe Cox - The Gadget

Ann Cuthbert - Unearthing Their Stories

Peter  Daley - Dispossessed

Vernon Dewhurst - The Green Flash

Julie Dron - That Beautiful Time

Janet Ellison - Coronation Day

Malcolm Eva - Margaret's Air

Alison Finch - Charming? 

Ronald Finn - World's Apart

Richard Garcka - A Compromising Position

Hilary Glassborow - One Day

Hilary Glassborow - Life Goes On...

Stephen Goodlad - The Bridge

Stephen Goodlad - The Death Of An Actor

Stephen Goodlad - Train Whistle

Ellen Hannavy-Cousen - Chinese Rose

Betty Harcombe - Colours Of The Rainbow

Joan Hardy - Into The Blur With Mickey

Linda  Hardy - Giddy Edge

Linda  Hardy - Accidents Of Birth

Rosemary Harle - Dare To Dream

Rosemary Harle - The Chameleon

Annette Heys - St Agnes' Eve

Rosalyn Huxley - The Death Cafe Has Changed Its Name

Jonah Jones - Winterweave

Dave Juson - The Pessimist 

Alan Kahn - Sebald's Ferber

Janice Keegan - All Will Be Well

Anna Koenig - I Am A Flower. I Am The Rain. I Am The Whirling Wind.Wind.

Christine Lawrence - The Haunting Of The Froddington Arms

Nick Le Mesurier - Rags

Stephanie Ledger - A Sunday Afternoon In The Garden

Audrey Lee - The Hardening Of The Heart

Christopher Lilly - Hell’s Cherubs

Christopher Lilly  - Gazehounds

Wendy Markel - Not Found Wanting

Montagu Martin - Same Old, Same Old

Jane Mckears - Missing From Home

Ayelet Mckenzie - Pains Of Glass

Pat Mclaughlin - Killing Me Softly

Roland Miles - Cello Song

Joan Miller - The Yew Tree

Paul Morgan - The Gold-Eyed Cat 

Debbie Moss - The Porcelain Torah

Larraine Nicholls - Fireflies, Spiders And Pike

Angela Norris - Singing In The Rain

Derham O'Neill - The Road

Derham O'Neill - A Sojourn In Florence

Mary Onions - Finding Turner

Carole Page - Strange Summer

Pam Pellen - Supporting Artist

Linda Pook - An Analysis Of The Socio-Technological Antecedents Of The Cyber Riots Of 2156

Joe Reynolds - Sheltered Accommodation

Joe Reynolds - Where Fuchsias Grow Wild

Gareth Riley - Lost

Penny Rogers - His Best Shot

Rebecca Russell - The Day I Died

Mimi Sanderson - The Address Book

Vivienne Sansum - Red Roses On A White Fleece Dressing Gown

Michelle Scowcroft - Broken Chord

Grace Shaw - Portrait Of A Duchess

Sandra Slinger - Tit For Tat 

Gillean Somerville-Arjat - The Girl At Kings Cross Station

Susan Stclair - Gemstone

Angie Steele - Weight Of Snow

Nick Sweeney - The Painter

Susan Taylor - Sold

Trudie Thomas - The Visitor

Jean Thompson - Elsa's Year Of Silence

Anne Thomson - The Tree House

Ann Tipper - My Tinder Guy

Martine Wates - Betrayal

Lesley Webb - The Price Of His Jam

Christopher White - The Losers' Club

Linda Whitehouse - Until Mary

Marcia Woolf - Permanent Rose

Robin Wilson

Tell us a bit about where Robin lived?

Robin has lived in Harrogate for the last 35 years, a town surrounded by beautiful countryside. He has greatly enjoyed walking in the dales, and met many interesting people, some of whom feature anonymously in his often humorous and witty writing. 

Why did Robin enter the King Lear Prizes?

He found out about the King Lear prize on the internet and decided to submit one of his stories.

He had never entered a writing competition before, but this one particularly appealed to him.

What inspired Robin’s work?

He lived in the small town of Hebden Bridge for a number of years. The surrounding area has a remarkably large number of Methodist Chapels, from which he drew his inspiration.

Heike Rentel-Thomas

Tell us a bit about where you live?

Ten years ago, I made the move South to Littlehampton and have never looked back. Since I came to this country from Germany, I have missed the sea and now, living just on the other side of the beach, I can finally breathe again. The area is far more exciting than it appears on first glance and apart from my regular travels, I would not want to be anywhere else.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

A close friend of mine nagged me until I entered the competition. Like so many others, I have been writing for years, leaving the results in a drawer. Following the death of my husband, writing has become something very important and cathartic for me, but until recently, I have never been brave enough to share my thoughts.

What inspired your work?

The Pompous Cello has been inspired by a real person, struggling with their mixed heritage, stemming from two very different cultures and growing up in a third, as well as the subsequent tension between the expectations and aspirations of their parents and the reality of a life that should have been somehow ‘more’. It has been written on a balcony in Albania, overlooking the sea and wondering what might lay beyond the horizon.

David Griffiths

Tell us a bit about where you live?

I live in Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I wanted to see if my writing had any value.

What inspired your work?

My work was inspired by a short story by an unknown Russian writer I read when I was a teenager. The Officer takes a wager that he can remain in his room for 10 years.

The day before winning his bet he walks out of the room, so losing the bet but on his terms. My story has no overlap with this.

Julian Fuller

Tell us a bit about where you live?

I live in the happy village community of Cockwood, South Devon. We are blessed with elevated views of the Exe river estuary and a huge sky - notable for its birds of all stripes who always seem to be overflying us on some earnest journey. Notable also for occasional sonic ambushes by the Red Arrows, or a Eurofighter on manoeuvres - perhaps our house is a way marker, or maybe a mock target? They’re outclassed, however, by the squadrons of honking Canada geese whenever they perform their showstopping Dam Busters’ pass over the marshes - mesmerising.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

As a tyro, I knew almost nothing about writing competitions, or indeed the King Lear Prizes, until a family member sent me a link to the website. I parked it as being above my pay grade, until someone in my writers’ group began chivvying me to submit something, somewhere. Eeny, meeny, miny, King Lear…

What inspired your work?

The story probably has two intersecting origins. Firstly, the pandemic, having put pay to my occasional recreational trips to London, left me terribly nostalgic for the South Bank's sights and sounds. Secondly, my newfound fascination with words shifted my attention from the visuals of quality TV dramas to the cleverness of their scripts. This sparked my curiosity about the screenwriting profession, and what sort of struggles are involved in chasing success. Wrestling with the layers of the story became a discombobulating experience for me, and I fully intend it to have the same effect on the reader!

Susan Royal

Tell us a bit about where you live?

I have lived in Worthing, West Sussex for nearly forty years, in the same garden flat.  It is pleasant to be so close to the sea and the Downs. It is co-incidental that I have ended up settled in the area from which my maternal grandfather’s family originated.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I had dabbled with writing in my twenties and in my fifties, but it was not until I joined my friend’s writing group, Seascribes late in 2021 that I knuckled down to working at it, summoning the courage to read my work to others.  This gave me the confidence to be more ambitious and complete a novel about some family history.  I had done some research and begun ‘The Last Martian’ then the King Lear Prizes seemed a good introduction to entering competitions.  The age and experience criteria were encouraging!  An opportunity to test my abilities and get expert feedback.

What inspired your work?

My story was inspired by my thoughts regarding the ambitions of some wealthy individuals to colonise Space, along with my grief about what we are doing to our own jewel of a home planet. I longed to be able to explore this pristine neighbour in our solar system and to make my story as real an imaginative exercise as possible.  Also the psychological effects of such a unique experience fascinated me.  I may have kept my feet on the Earth but I now feel I have stood on Mars too.

John Paris

Tell us a bit about where you live?

I live in North Dorset which is situated in the South of England. Our house is one of six in a cul-de-sac, and we are surrounded by beautiful countryside.  As we drive to go to town we encounter wildlife everywhere. From cows, pigs, sheep to birds of prey flying majestically over us (just the birds that is!!) and the fields as they change colour and shape throughout the seasons. It is enough to get inspired and creative anytime.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I entered the King Lear Prizes as I was searching for writing agencies and publishers etc. after I attended a local writing seminar. I found that the King Lear prize was something that could give me a chance to appraise my work. Although I have already had a couple of short stories read on the local radio, I wanted to test my writing on a bigger platform. So I managed to find the courage to enter the competition. 

What inspired your work?

What inspired me to write the story was a song with the same title from 1900. I came across it as i was going through YouTube trying to find something which has now escaped my memory! The actual song refers to a woman who married for money instead of love and found herself a prisoner in some rich man's world.  I thought, what if the 'bird' in the song was an actual bird? I wanted to give it a modern background, hence James, the epitome of someone who could purchase anything just to possess it. He did learn his lesson though!

Jane Bryenton

Tell us a bit about where you live?

I live in Stoke Orchard near Cheltenham with my husband Peter. Our small house has a long garden complete with a log cabin, home to all our creativity. We have three mature trees in the garden which backs onto farmland where we watch deer run every morning. Retirement is wonderful. 

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I was encouraged to enter by the leader of a creative writing group I attend. I’ve never entered a writing competition before but had bought an old copy of Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie the day before so it seemed appropriate to have a go. Nothing to lose, I thought (lots to gain as I’ve since found out). 

What inspired your work?

I saw the print of a drawing in a local charity shop. I loved the image of the woman trudging up the hill so bought it and had it reframed. I discovered a label on the reverse of the print naming the artist as Martin Caulkin R.I. (Have had no luck finding out more about him) .

I knew straight away that I had to tell the old woman’s story. Hence my entry. It took plenty of research to get the right feel for where the picture seems to be set. 

Rick Tucker

Tell us a bit about where you live?

I live in Buckinghamshire, in the heart of the Chilterns, but I am a Londoner at  heart, which is where I lived for most of my life and where I feel I belong more than anywhere else.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I entered the King Lear Prizes because it's a prestigious competition that has enough categories to encourage a writer like me. I have never entered a short-story competition before, but the subject matter of my story 'A Plane Tree Struck by Lightning' has been something I've considered writing about for some time and deciding to enter the competition gave me the impetus to finally write it. So, I just thought I'd give it a go. 

What inspired your work?

I worked as a nurse for many years in secure mental health services and then as an independent consultant carrying out investigations into serious untoward events within mostly mental health and learning disability services.  My experiences in those fields, the people I met, worked alongside, and those I cared for, have been inspirational, even though it means often having to recall and describe some uncomfortable and distressing events. So, I have met and worked with many people who exhibited violent behaviour, committed crimes and some of whom also suffered severe mental illness. Sometimes I feel the need to write about them and try to demonstrate and describe the insights I gained into people who behave violently. The protagonist in 'A Plane Tree Struck by Lightning' is an amalgam of many of the violent men I came across, most of whom would try to justify their violence by portraying themselves as the victims of circumstance and so justify their behaviour. It is an interesting, if sometimes disturbing, dynamic, which I think is worthy of being written about.

Marilyn A Timms

Tell us a bit about where you live?

Having lived in many homes from London to Chicago, my husband and I have finally put down roots in the privet-lined roads of the Poets Conservation Area in Cheltenham, only yards from his childhood home. Outside our front gate stands a majestic copper beech, decades older than our gabled, red-brick house which reaches its centenary next year. As aging poets, we smile at the name of our estate, but revel in the huge variety of trees that line roads named for Byron, Kipling, Milton, Shakespeare, Shelley, Tennyson, and Wordsworth.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

Initially, I was intrigued by your name, which prompted me to read your advertisement. I was impressed when I saw the range of competitions on offer and delighted that it expressly encouraged work from the less sprightly among us. Like my husband of 56 years, I am a cancer survivor and intensely grateful to our miracle-working National Health Service. Writing and painting have been a brilliant form of therapy for us both. Thank you, King Lear, for offering a wide-ranging outlet for people’s efforts.

What inspired your work?

My story is autobiographical, a conflation of two occasions that happened a month apart. As I began to write, so many precious memories of Coronation Day 1953 surfaced and made their way to the page where they were attributed to a seven-year-old child, Elizabeth. My Uncle Jim did manage to slow a runaway lorry for long enough for his workmates to scramble to safety. Sadly, he was not as lucky. ‘Elizabeth’ mirrors my reactions to this tragedy. I still have my 1898 penny.

Derham O’Neill

Tell us a bit about where you live?

For the last nearly twenty years I have lived partly in England, in central London, a stones throw from Buckingham Palace and the fowl and the fish in St James Park.  In contrast, I live also partly in France on a small island called L’Île d’Yeu, once one of the busiest tuna fishing ports in Europe, but no more.  L’Île d’Yeu is situated in the Bay of Biscay, some decent distance from the continent.  It is blessed with magnificent beaches, fresh ocean waters and on a clear day you might, after a good lunch, dream you can see America beyond the western horizon.  

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

 I rarely enter competitions as the formal processes are often the very opposite of the creative and poetic.  I found the King Lear much more welcoming and engaging, more encouraging, not bureaucratic, and very helpful as when the would-be entrant blunders with the paperwork or the technology. 

What inspired your work?

I enjoy swimming in the ocean, particularly in the late autumn. Often, the beaches and the seas are devoid of people but not of life.  Many seabirds take an interest in my presence but it is always a thrill to be surprised by a fair sized fish out in the bay or by a school of small fry in the shallows.  I like to try to put myself in their place and to imagine what they might be thinking.  So I make up scenarios in my head where they might express more than the odd gulp before disappearing back into the depths. 

Frances Knight

Tell us a bit about where you live?

I live in Canterbury in a quiet street, from which I sometimes venture forth to play gigs. 

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

I first heard about King Lear through a lovely friend the late Sid Thomas - a fellow jazz player and eminent scientist. I wrote 'Evie, wonder of science' a few years ago now and have been looking for a home for it.

What inspired your work?

The story was inspired by a 'what if' situation. What if there's a cure for dementia? I hope there will be, but for now, Evie is in the vanguard.

Christina Campbell

Tell us a bit about where you live?

I am privileged to live in Enniskillen, Ireland’s only island town. Situated between Upper and Lower Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, it is a region of great natural beauty. There are many historic sites on the islands surrounding the town, including Devenish Island, a 6th century monastic site and round tower. The Marble Arch Caves and Cuilcagh mountain boardwalk, were awarded status as a UNESCO Global Geopark, attracting visitors from around the world. The town’s literary connections include Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde, both of whom were educated at Enniskillen Portora Royal School. With Blakes of The Hallow, claiming the title of oldest pub in Ireland, the vibrant Ardhowen Theatre, a Film Club and the Buttermarket Craft Centre, it is a wonderful place to live.

Why did you enter the King Lear Prizes?

At a time when publishing success appears to be increasingly focused on youthful authors, the King Lear Prizes offers a unique opportunity for the older writer. I had abandoned entering writing competitions, then an email about the King Lear dropped into my Inbox. I took up my pen and began again.

What inspired your work?

My story was inspired by my experience as a cancer patient. The treatment centre, in a large city hospital, was incongruously called ‘The Bridgewater Suite’. Recuperating at home, in the exhausting week following each cycle of chemotherapy, I was tormented by a large number of scam calls, clearly from foreign Call Centres. One day I furiously engaged with the caller. This story is based on what followed.