Peter May Fiction Prize Winners
2023/24 Winner – Lew Passmore, BA (Hons) Literature and Creative Writing
Lew’s winning story titled Asmahan is a compelling short story about music, friendship and self-discovery.
"As a full-time student, any boost to the finances is very much appreciated, but to receive validation from a writer of Peter's standing is a priceless boost to how I feel about my writing, a career I was beginning to believe I was perhaps no longer suited for! His kind words of encouragement are still ringing in my ears, and once I've run out of family and friends to repeat them to, I'm going to have to start on random people about the town."
Peter May said:
“Asmahan is a beautifully written short story that paints intriguing characters with minimal brushstrokes. It expertly creates a sense of place that suggests intimate acquaintance and hints at a darker history, making it a fascinating read. Lew has a rare talent, and I would encourage him to tackle a larger piece. I know just how much a few words of encouragement can help motivate you when it seems that your talent is going unacknowledged. I hope he’ll go on to great things."
2022/23 Winner - Jennifer Mewes, BA (Hons) Literature and Theology
Jennifer's story was selected from one of five shortlisted and is based on some of her childhood experiences.
"Last year, I started studying theology and literature with Highland Theological College UHI part-time. The course is perfectly suited to me because I want to write a Christian young adults’ novel which will hopefully inspire young people to think about faith and the Bible in a positive way.Although I’ve just begun my studies, I feel I have already benefitted from the excellent feedback from my tutors.
Winning the Peter May Fiction Prize has been an amazing encouragement and I feel much more confident about achieving my writing goals. I’d like to say a huge thank you to UHI and Peter May for providing this kind of opportunity.”
Peter May said:
“This was beautifully written, with professional assurance, taking an unlikely premise - a building and its memories as a principal character - and turning it into a short story that somehow managed to encompass the history of apartheid in the recounting of one man’s life.”
2021/22 Winner - Gary Groves, BA (Hons) Creative Writing
An extract from Gary's winning short story: Monads
"It had only been seven years since they had given it a name, the Exponential Arthropod Population Growth, or as it had become commonly called; the Bloom. At first it was something distant and remote. Crops devastated in Africa. The American central belt overrun. Diseases across Asia. Distant parts of the world with distant problems. Governments slow to respond. Just another catastrophe to deny and debate. Believers and unbelievers - none of them got anything done. All the while global ecosystems had collapsed and a biological new world order had destroyed the careful equilibrium of millennia."
Peter May, who chose the winner from a shortlist of five, said:
"Gary’s work stood out. He draws us into the frightening, claustrophobic world of the research pod in this strange and compelling story. He vividly delivers a metaphor of acceptance and surrender to age, with its accompanying deterioration of the mind. I look forward to reading what comes next.”