Wena Wins Willesden

Congrats to Singaporean author Wena Poon who has won Willesden Herald's Short Story Prize with a piece called The Architects. The results were announced at a special event last night Charles Dickens' house, 48 Doughty Street, London, and equal runners-up were Willie Davis and Henrietta Rose-Innes.

I like this quote by author/poet Richard Peabody from the back of the collection of finalists' stories (left) :  

In my next life I'm coming back as the brainy talented author of "The Architects." Talk about brazen, submitting a story about a contest to a writing contest. Does it work? Check. The focus might well be on writers—the same dynamics of love, jealousy, sex, and mentors, applies. New York City is captured in amber. Check. Foreign-born exiles get their due. Check. Authentic dialogue squeezes out sparks. Check. Jokes? Check. Do the juggled balls remain in the air? Check. Yes, I want to be this author, who like a sly child with an Erector Set creates miraculous buildings out of thin air."

Am quite impressed that the prize is a mug!  (I love mugs and always drink my tea from them.)