Poetry in motion had judges of GDNlife’s popular short story contest in a spin and they chose an entry written in limerick-style as the latest monthly winner in the adult category.
A crime thriller entitled Honour Killing, penned by Indian expatriate Nivedita Roy, has already received more than 2,000 views on our popular social media platform.
The 51-year-old teacher picks up a BD25 prize and couldn’t be more delighted: “I’m currently on vacation in India and this is a great news – a holiday bonus!” she said.
Married to Allen, general manager of a Bahrain-based company, the couple has two children Aanya, 25, and Alex, 21, and live in Adliya. Ms Roy was inspired to write her entry by a number of incidents in her home country which had ‘pained’ her a lot.
“A few years ago, honour killing was prevalent in some parts of India,” she explained. “As a writer I just poured out my feelings on paper.”
Honour killing, sometimes called ‘shame killing’ generally involves a girl or woman, who is perceived to have brought dishonour on her family, and is often carried out by a relative or someone claiming to have been disrespected.
Judge Rohini Sunderam, from Bahrain Writers Circle, was impressed. She said: “I like that the story explores a different format – poetry, but it is a story, nonetheless. There is that tension and the exploration of the police.”
One tip for the future though. Our expert added: “She could have held the suspense by not giving it away in the title!”
Ms Roy said she was ‘pleasantly surprised and absolutely thrilled’ to have won July’s contest. “It’s the most precious moment for a poet and writer – to be recognised and honoured!
“I wish to thank GDN Media and its capable team for publishing my poems and articles. You all have been a great support in my ongoing literary journey. I wish this association to continue as long as possible!
“I would also like to thank my family too. They are all very supportive and always encourages me to follow my passion and literary pursuits.”
Bahraini schoolgirl Fajer Mohammed Al Kooheji showed plenty of potential with her short story in the U18 contest which wins her a pair of Cineco Cinema tickets.
The Reading Champion has also attracted more than 2,000 views. The talented 12-year-old Canadian School Bahrain pupil lives in Muharraq with her parents, accountant Mohammed Al Kooheji and Arwa Al Meer, an education quality specialist.
GDN columnist and judge Chris Fenton, head teacher of the British Primary Department at Al Noor International School, described her entry as ‘a well-constructed piece.’
“It demonstrated a good command of descriptive language,” he added. “Well done, Fajer, are you the ‘reader’ in the story?”
That will be up to the reader to determine!
“I’m very proud of my accomplishment and flattered that I am in this amazing position, as this has encouraged me to improve my skills and creativity,” said Fajer.
“I would like to thank my parents, my English teacher Ms Sian and my cousin for supporting me throughout the process.”
Readers can check out July’s winning entries by placing a smartphone over the QR Codes.
August entries are invited ... so get writing up to 800 words 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 – clearly stating Adult or U18 entry.
Our panel of judges will also decide on who should walk away with the annual GDNLife Short Story of the Year prize trophies in both categories after the competition’s third anniversary next March.
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.
managingeditor@gdnmedia.bh
