The first monthly winners of the second edition of the popular www.GDNlife.com short story competition have been named by a panel of judges.

The adult BD25 prize for April went to Salwa Pervaiz for The Mighty Polydectes https://www.gdnlife.com/Home/ArticleDetail?ArticleId=40766&category=18 and the U18 cinema ticket prize was picked up by Tala Attia for A Concealed Lie which has proved stunningly popular with visitors to Bahrain’s social media platform.

A Greek tragedy in more ways than one, judge Rohini Sunderam, from Bahrain Writers’ Circle, said Ms Pervaiz’s entry literally ‘blew her away’.

“It was full of superb, sneering sarcasm,” she added, “and congratulations for getting inside the mind of a megalomaniac!”

Clinical researcher Ms Pervaiz, 29, lives with her family in Riffa and as well as writing she also enjoys drawing imaginative art in her spare time since returning to Bahrain after medical university studies.

“This is such a nice surprise, thank you very much!” she said. “I posted my story The Mighty Polydectes on a whim after some encouragement from a friend. I am humbled and glad that it was enjoyed and I hope to participate in the future as well.

“My family and I have lived here for years – my father has called Bahrain his home since 1981, when he came here for work.

“We are Pakistani, but were raised here, and we three siblings are as mixed culture as they come! Strong scents like bukhoor and oud are the bane of our existences, much to the confusion of the nostrils of our extended families.”

The successful U18 entry has already attracted 10,700-plus views – thousands more, in just a couple of weeks – than the annual winner of the inaugural GDNLife People’s Choice Award.

Judge Chris Fenton, head teacher of the British Primary Department at Al Noor International School, was too impressed with A Concealed Lie. https://www.gdnlife.com/Home/ArticleDetail?ArticleId=40794&category=18

“A serious, well-worded and thought-provoking piece of writing that delivers amongst other things, a damning indictment on the education system through the eyes of a student in an intelligent and creative way,” he said. “Well done!”

Fifteen-year-old Tala was stunned by the attention her work continues to generate.

“WOW! I can’t believe that a few fictional thoughts expressed on a piece of paper actually managed to inspire more than 10,000 people, unbelievable!” she said.

“I enjoy writing and creating unusual scenarios that can somehow bring life to millions of ideas in our modern society!”

Originally from Egypt, she currently lives in Janabiyah and attends St Christopher’s School.

“I have lived in the Middle East most of my life and moved to Bahrain only a couple of years ago and have felt an unexpected connection to this inspiring country,” she added.

“I’m currently in Year 10 and hope to study medicine in the future.”

The competition for May has just opened. Place your entry of no more than 600 words in the Short Story category of www.gdnlife.com for the chance of winning a BD25 prize for adults and cinema tickets in the U18 category.

It’s a rolling competition, so if your entry doesn’t win this month it could still pick up a prize at a later date.

Annual plaque prize winners will be announced next April and, hopefully, celebrated with a party in the spring of 2022.