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Essay News Poem Review Short Story

2023 | News

Hot Mango Chutney Sauce

I’m delighted that my short story, Hot Mango Chutney Sauce, has been published by The Dream Machine.

It was only yesterday when the last girl, Maryam, took her turn with paracetamols and cheap alcohol. A few weeks earlier, Zainab had done the same, but Laila, who had followed Hafsa, had slit her wrists. When the police took us in for questioning, we said we were ready to cooperate. We even offered to share our photographs. After all, who better than us could explain what happened to the girls? We sit in the row of kiosks on the left side of the car park as you face the front of the shrine. The tasbihs and Ajrak scarves hanging on the frames of our windows provide a curtain from behind which we observed the events as they unfolded in the shrine compound…

www.thedreamingmachine.com/hot-mango-chutney-sauce-farah-ahamed

2022 | News

Shortlisted, Bridport Short Story Prize

I am very pleased to have been shortlisted for the Bridport Short Story Prize, for my story Just a Name.

bridportprize.org.uk/results/2022/

2022 | News

Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize

I’m thrilled to be included in the shortlist for this year’s Commonwealth Short Story Prize for my story Hot Chutney Mango Sauce.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from the Commonwealth. This year’s shortlist was chosen by the international judging panel from over 6700 entries from 52 Commonwealth countries…

It was only yesterday when the last girl, Maryam, took her turn with paracetamols and cheap alcohol. A few weeks earlier, Zainab, had done the same, but Laila, who had followed Hafsa, had slit her wrists. When the police took us in for questioning, we said we were ready to cooperate. We even offered to share our photographs. After all, who better than us could explain what happened to the girls?

www.commonwealthwriters.org/shortstoryprize/shortlist

read more

2021 | News

Bridport Shortlist

I am very pleased to be shortlisted for the Bridport Short Story Prize for my story Queen Victoria in the Basement.

You can view the full shortlist here (pdf).

2021 | News

If trees were lone women

I’m so pleased that one of my poems has been selected to be a part of this exciting, innovative project.

‘If trees were lone women what would they sound like’ is a sound installation deep in the Galloway Forest.

It’s an opportunity for those on site to track, trace and immerse themselves in the audio of women from around the world whispering in words, sounds and music from 17 identified trees. In creating a loosely delineated star shaped ‘Lone Women Wood’ this work will produce an ongoing record of answers to the question often asked of women, how do you feel about going into the woods alone, and will facilitate the voices of those who might not otherwise do so, to be heard there.

www.lonewomeninflashesofwilderness.com/blog

2021 | News

Highly commended for CWFA

The results have been announced for this year’s Creative Future Writers’ Awards, celebrating prose and poetry from under-represented writers. I am thrilled that my entry, the short story No One Can Save Anyone, has been highly commended by the judges.

My story is included in Essential, an anthology of all the winning entries from the 2021 Creative Future Writers’ Award. It’s available to purchase from their website.

www.creativefuture.org.uk/product/2021-essential

read more

2021 | News

20 Years CRASSH

I have been selected as one of the authors included in the 20 Years CRASSH Online Publication, which will be published in autumn 2021.

CRASSH (Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities) is one of the largest humanities institutes in the world and is a major presence in academic life in the UK. It serves at once to draw together disciplinary perspectives in Cambridge and to disseminate new ideas to audiences across Europe and beyond.

Download Global Conversations (pdf, 16MB)

www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/programmes/20-years-crassh-online-publication-open-call

2021 | News

2021 Primadonna Prize

I am thrilled to be included in the long list for the 2021 Primadonna Prize. The short list will be announced later this year.

Primadonna is the first literary festival in the UK specifically to give prominence to work by women, as well as writers of all genders, economic statuses and ethnicities whose voices are not usually heard. It strives to tackle the current imbalance in the literary and publishing world, and to create a space where all ideas are welcome and all experiences are of equal value.

www.primadonnafestival.com/2021-prize-longlist

2021 | News

Shortlisted for CWFA

Shortlisted in the Creative Future Writers’ Award (prose section) for my short story No One Can Save Anyone.

www.creativefuture.org.uk/for-writers/creative-future-writers-award/winners/2021-winners

2021 | News

No One Can Save Anyone

Short story, No One Can Save Anyone, shortlisted for 8th annual Creative Future Writers’ Award (CFWA).

Thirty-six writers from a wide range of working class, LGTBQIA+, Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds were today (13th July 2021) shortlisted for the 8th annual Creative Future Writers’ Award (CFWA).

The UK’s only national writing competition and development programme for all underrepresented writers, the Award celebrates exceptional writing from people who traditionally lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, identity, health or social circumstance.

www.creativefuture.org.uk/new-story/thirty-six-underrepresented-writers-shortlisted-for-creative-future-writers-award-2021