Teenage talent came to the fore in May’s GDNLife Short Story contests after the literary excellence of all the entries was considered by a panel of judges.
Maryam Seher Imtiaz an 18-year-old Pakistani expatriate, took the Adult BD25 prize for her ‘atmospheric’ entry entitled Inked Pages https://www.gdnlife.com/Home/ArticleDetail?ArticleId=40855&category=18 and schoolgirl Zahra Bandukwala won tickets to the cinema when they reopen for her perfect piece called Perceptions in the U18 section. https://www.gdnlife.com/Home/ArticleDetail?ArticleId=41284&category=18
“I enjoy literature and writing more than anything else in the world,” Maryam said. “I hope to make it somewhere as a writer at some point in the future, however, I am planning on studying architecture in university next year.
“Bahrain has been my home for the majority of my life and I've found solitude in this country.
“Honestly, I'm just glad people enjoyed my work and it was deemed worthy of a winning read. I wasn't planning on posting my story but I thought it was worth a shot putting something out there for people to enjoy.”
And, they certainly did enjoy it. More than 3,200 visitors viewed the post on Bahrain’s very own social media platform www.gdnlife.com
One the judges, Rohini Sunderam, from Bahrain Writers Circle, particularly enjoyed Inked Pages describing it as a ‘great, poetic flow of words’.
“I really liked the details used to create atmosphere 'fingers drumming a familiar tune,' the use of the senses such as the smell of coffee and wood,” she said. “A tale that had tension but in the end celebrated the ordinary.”
Fifteen-year-old Zahra’s entry Perceptions was described as ‘very well done’ by Judge Chris Fenton, head teacher of the British Primary Department at Al Noor International School and it has also received more than 3,800 views.
“A deeply reflective and thought provoking piece of writing bestowing the importance of being kind and nurturing inner confidence,” he added.
The delighted Year 10 Indian expat student at the British School of Bahrain said she was ‘thrilled to be announced the winner’ adding: “I have lived in Bahrain my whole life. I enjoy playing tennis, horse riding and sometimes write poems about current issues.
“I currently live with my parents and two younger siblings in Salmaniya. My mother's family has been in Bahrain for four generations in business and my dad works with Cushman and Wakefield.
“I have studied at the BSB since I was three and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to be taught by the best of teachers, many of whom introduced me to many famous literary authors.
“JK Rowling is one of the many authors I really appreciate and she inspired me to write stories of my own that I occasionally narrate to my younger siblings.
“Reading books, especially in my younger years, helped me see how much of an impact words can have on different people. This is why I decided to write my short story about how we view others because of how they look.”
June 2021 entries are invited so get writing today! Register, choose an image, create a title, paste and copy your words in text, and submit to share your work on www.gdnlife.com
Our panel of judges will also decide on who should walk away with the annual GDNLife Short Story of the Year prize trophy after the competition’s second anniversary in March 2022.
The winner of the GDNLife People’s Choice Award – the short story that has received the most views and likes – will also be announced.
Keen writers of all ages are being offered the chance to publish their work on Bahrain’s popular social media platform for a monthly prize. As a result of the contest’s success there is now a special exclusive Short Story section on www.gdnlife.com for visitors to enjoy.
editor@gdnonline.com
