The month of December brings with it space to reflect but also the opportunity to start afresh. For our annual My December Competition (a favorite here at Write the World!) we encouraged all of you to write about this special time and to share with us your end of year traditions and rituals from your part of the world. Today, Guest Judge Rebecca Denton shares which pieces in particular best capture the season. (And because there were just too many to choose from, we’ve also noted a few highly commended pieces from our longlist.)
From Rebecca:
BEST ENTRY
“A Taken Seat At An Empty Table” by Amalia Georgia Costa (UK)
This story captured perfectly the bitter-sweetness of December. When families come together, there is always someone missing. I felt the delicacy and vulnerability of the young people in a house full of large, eccentric adults—all blunt edged, and unyielding to change and time. I also love the relationship explored between mother and child, and grandmother and child. The understanding that generations grow into the spaces left by the last. Beautiful and warm and gentle. The prose is sophisticated and although the writer projects a kind of disenfranchised sadness, I see hope and a future.
RUNNER UP
“Dunedin’s December” by Harmatia (New Zealand)
This story starts as a sun-drenched nostalgic piece about craggy shores and rock pool hunting. It’s a familiar and timeless tale of summer Christmases and school holidays filled with sunburn and bare feet. But the positioning of these winsome sun-drenched days against the authors fears about the planet, and the brutal fragility of human impact make it a painful read. The prose is simple but evocative, which takes the reader along quickly with vivid vision. There is something about this writer’s gentle style that feels fresh to writing. Like it could be a first submission. Please don’t let it be the last! This is a novelist in the making.
BEST PEER REVIEW
AmberFlame’s (US) review of “December Dissonance” by Annabelle O’C
AmberFlame’s (US) review of “December Dissonance” by Annabelle O’C was excellent. Clear feedback was married with specific suggestions, and the comments provided a lovely mix of encouragement and thoughtful development ideas. It felt like a professional editor had written this.
Honorable Mentions:
I also want to make special mention of the incredibly sophisticated writing in “White In The Smallest Corner Of The Universe” by MarSan (Mexico). And the touching story of isolation in Angela Chen’s beautifully written “Chrysanthemum Tea” (China). And while I’m here I have to mention the tenderness of Fernweh’s (India) “Asha”, and Sabriel’s (US) “A Season of Noise”—which was just delightful.
Editor’s Note:
And, because it’s a festive time of year, we also want to mention a few other stand-out pieces that made our longlist. Thank you again to everyone who entered, we’ve loved reading your work this year.
The Write the World Team
Highly Commended:
“Two Realms of December” by sunnybunny (US)
“Cold Decembers on Campus” by CrossdeLena (Nigeria)
“Isolation in a Time of Community” by sbhamilton (US)
