We are delighted to announce the winners of our walking home writing competition:

Tony Horitz for his poem ‘Of Blood and Water‘ and Cheryl Markosky for her story ‘Walk of Life‘.

At the Stories Sunday Showcase event hosted by Jake Morris-Campbell poet and broadcaster, with special guest Lydia Kennaway, outgoing Poet-in-Residence, the competition short listers read their pieces. The event came to a close with the announcement of the prize winners and competition runners-up. Each will receive an artwork print created by Alban Low, who also illustrated the chapbook anthology that includes each of the shortlisters poems and prose pieces. The winners also receive the accolade of online Writers-in-Residence for walk · listen · create 2022/3 and Sound Walk September 2023. They take up their roles on 1 October.

There were more than 100 submissions to the competition that closed in February 2022, in which people were asked to write a poem or prose piece of 250 words or under on the theme of ‘Walking Home’, that had been chosen by our current writers in residence, Lydia Kennaway and Claudia Zeiske. Cheryl Markosky commented on how pertinent her piece has become since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia – several of the shortlisted pieces were influenced by the movement of refugees, both current and historical.

“As a relative novice to creative writing, I’m delighted to win the flash fiction prize for Walk Listen Create’s Walking Home competition. Walking and storytelling have much in common – both with a beginning, middle and end – and my very personal story about my great-grandmother’s flight from Silesia to Canada, with its new beginning, has particular resonance now. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in as writer in residence to inspire more writing about walking.”

Cheryl Markosky, newly appointed Writer in Residence

Runners-up in the competition were: Marcelle Newbold, for her poem ‘Returning‘ and Helen Harradine in for her story ‘The Scholars’ Path‘. You can read about the inspiration of the short listed pieces here, and also find links to those works, or treat yourself to an early Christmas present by buying a print copy of the illustrated chapbook anthology here.

Missed the Showcase and would like to watch an edited video? Purchase a Media ticket for €2 to gain access.