THREE prize plaques will shortly be presented to the worthy winners of the fourth annual GDNlife Short Story of the Year competition.
The judges have voted for their favourite 2023/24 Adult and U18 entries and so have the people with more than 5,300 visitors to our social media platform picking one entry and making it the most viewed.
The accolades go to:
n Adult Winner - Pooja Shivram - Project Lily
n U18 Winner - Anaya Gosavi - Children’s Playground
n People’s Choice Award - Nanju Francisco - The Last Goodbye
One of the judges, Rohini Sunderam, from Bahrain Writers Circle, said that Project Lily by Ms Shivram was a worthy winner. “It’s a superb sci-fi dystopian vision and thrilling tale,” she explained.
The 39-year-old Indian expatriate pharmacy secretary picked up two monthly BD25 adult prizes for her creative writing and was delighted to receive the annual accolade too.
Born and brought up in Bahrain, the Manama resident said: “I am grateful and honoured to get this award. It was completely unexpected but a definite motivation to keep writing.
“I am also thankful to www.GDNlife.com for creating a platform for writers to share their stories.”
She had been inspired to pen her entry by a beautiful picture of lilies and felt prompted to write a ‘relatable story revolving around them’, the winner added.
Thirteen-year-old Anaya Gosavi who penned a chilling, dark thriller called Children’s Playground and picked up the U18 prize of a pair of CINECO movie tickets only last month was stunned to triumph as the judges’ annual winner too.
The Bahrain Indian School pupil lives with her parents Vishal Gosavi and Sampada Purandare in Mahooz and said: “I feel extremely delighted and excited that I’ve been judged as the annual winner. I feel immensely proud. A big ‘thank you’ to everyone for making my writing journey so enjoyable.”
Judge Chris Fenton, head teacher of the British Primary Department at Al Noor International School, described the entry as a ‘gripping tale that conflicted the safety and innocence of childhood games with the brutality of the adult world’, describing it as ‘one of the best pieces’ he had read since he started judging the competition four years ago.
“Children’s Playground demonstrated maturity as a young writer,” he added. “The sense of peril was built well and the protagonist’s frantic uncertainty was clear. A great piece of writing and a deserved winner.”
Last summer a touching tale of a daughter’s love for her mother called The Last Goodbye picked up an adult monthly prize and it captured the attention of thousands of visitors to GDNlife, the perfect portal for people who enjoy a good read in the Short Story section.
Evangeline Reyes Francisco, better known to her family, friends and colleagues by her nickname ‘Nanju’ writes ‘from the heart’.
The 57-year-old Filipino content writer, editor and English trainer, who lives in Juffair, said: “When I found out I had won the People’s Choice Award I felt so many different emotions. It made me think about my mom passing away and how hard it was for me to keep going after that. Remembering that tough time, I felt both sad and thankful. Sad because losing my mom left a big hole in my heart, but thankful because it made me stronger. It reminded me that life has good times and bad times, but even in the worst moments, there is still hope.
“Getting this award showed how far I’ve come as a writer and how much I pour my feelings into my stories. It made me see that storytelling isn’t just about expressing myself, but also about connecting with others. My words can make people feel things, start conversations and even help them through tough times too.
“Knowing that readers picked my story as their favourite made me feel really good, it showed me that even when life is hard, there’s still beauty out there. It made me want to keep sharing my stories because I know they can make a difference.
“The journey of dealing with my mom’s death and finding healing brought me to this moment. It reminds me that even when bad things happen, life keeps moving forward and there is always a chance for new beginnings. I want to dedicate this award to my mom, who still inspires me every day. Even though she’s not here anymore, her love stays with me in my words and memories. Winning this award isn’t just about me; it’s a way to honour her and her belief in me. Thank you, Lord God, for giving me this wonderful gift.
“I would also like to thank GDNLife and everyone who read my story. Your support means everything to me. I feel grateful to be part of this community of storytellers, and I can’t wait to share more of my writing with everyone.”
n You too can share your short stories as we venture into the fifth series on the competition.
April 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 shortly decide on who should walk away with the annual GDNLife Short Story of the Year prize plaques in both categories after the competition’s anniversary in March, 2025. The winner of the GDNLife People’s Choice Award – the short story that has received the most views and likes – will also be announced.
Join the many keen writers of all ages who 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.