No witty preamble here, because I’m just too excited that my story ‘Borderline’ has made the shortlist for the Bristol Short Story Prize! ‘Borderline’ follows a character who lives in a Berlin that’s split in two – finally diving into their own divided gender by buying a forbidden lipstick…
Or, as the prize itself puts it:
The winners of the prize will be announced at the Waterstones Gallery in Bristol at 8pm on June 28! I will be attending via Zoom…
And the best part? The other finalists are a wide range of accomplished writers, which makes me feel the accomplishment even more strongly! You can read about them all by visiting the Bristol Short Story Prize website, or by clicking the link here.
Fingers crossed for this one!
Today’s post is a mini one, but stay tuned for another upcoming review, as well as news for the next secret project I’ve been working on… in the meantime I shall leave you with this picture I drew on a whim. It’s a scene from my novel Proud Pink Sky, showing the rooftop cottage that eventually becomes home for the teenager immigrants to the gay city, William and Gareth. In the foreground sits Henna, their hot-tempered but fiercely loyal neighbour. The background shows the ramshackle construction of the queer district, with the wealthier towers looming behind.
I’m not the greatest at drawing, but I do believe in playing around and experimenting with different forms of art. And to bring a piece to life in more than one way can be something very special indeed.
By the way, did I mention that I’ve been melting in this unbearably humid heat like a grotesquely sweaty Elphaba?
The book one, not the movie one.
– Redfern