And The Winner Is... in OUTSIDELEFT

The 2022 Outsideleft Short Story Competition was one of our most exciting undertakings in the near 20 year history of the periodical. Look, we’re excited about words written. In some ways that’s why we are a little resistant to podcasts and videos… We just love how words look in front of us. The speed at which we can choose to absorb them. We're excited about adults who want to tell stories. The theme of the story competition was ‘Concrete’ which offers a great number of connotations, the writers that submitted their work probably investigated probably all of them.

Great thanks to our Outsideleft contributors because you had to write one story and they had to read so very, very many. And people like Chris Fielden's (website) and many other websites and organizations that promoted the competition, thus ensuring its success.

Finally thanks to our judges, Lisa Blower and Jenny McCann, The GOAT’s that they are, who put their professional nous and reputation on the line.

Just before announcing the winning stories for 2022, I think you should know that the 2023 Outsideleft Short Story Competition will return in the spring. Please join in once more whether you won, placed or didn’t quite make the final few this time. Oh and the person who contacted us and was just too young to enter in 2022, please, please come back next year.

OUTSIDELEFT 2022 SHORT STORY COMPETITION
WINNING ENTRY
Alice by Callum MacDonald

"I thought this a unique take on it in terms of the relationship one might have with a landmark such as this and which others might walk past every day. It was a delicately delivered story that flowed beautifully... It's evocative and clever writing." - Lisa Blower