'Surprise' win as Chris Beckett triumphs in Edge Hill Short Story Prize
6th July 2009
Cult science fiction writer Chris Beckett has won this year's Edge Hill Short Story Prize - the UK's only award for a short story collection by a single author. The judges chose his book The Turing Test, with its tales of robots, alien planets, genetic manipulation and virtual reality over collections by Anne Enright, Shena Mackay, Ali Smith and Gerard Donovan.
Chris was presented with the £5,000 prize and a specially commissioned painting by Liverpool artist, Pete Clarke, at a ceremony held by Edge Hill University on Saturday evening, 4 July, at the Bluecoat centre in Liverpool. He was also awarded the £1,000 Readers' Prize
Anne Enright won the second prize, worth £1,000, for her collection Yesterday's Weather published by Vintage. She commented, 'It's lovely to see the short story celebrated in this way.'
This year's judges were James Walton, journalist and chair of BBC Radio 4's The Write Stuff; author and 2008 winner Claire Keegan and Mark Flinn, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Edge Hill University.
The Edge Hill Short Story Prize was launched by the university three years ago and is co-sponsored by Blackwell books.
Chris Beckett is available for interview. For further information, please contact: Margot Weale at Midas Public Relations margot.weale@midaspr.co.uk
