In 2018, British author and editor Bridget Lawless founded a prize for excellence in thrillers that do not portray violence against women.

In 2020, I have been longlisted for the Staunch Prize for short fiction for my story, “My Two-Legs.”

The heroine of my story is a golden retriever named Star who’s locked in a car when her owner (her “two-legs”) disappears. I enjoyed the challenge of a protagonist who couldn’t talk and who has no opposable thumbs, trying to escape a car, find her “two-legs,” and figure out who tried to kill him.

It’s a huge honour for me to join the long list of authors, chosen from hundreds of submissions around the world.

I believe in a prize that aims for a better world, namely a world that doesn’t rely on female victims for entertainment. You can still write those stories, as I have myself, but I’m fiercely glad there is a prize for those of us who choose to avoid it.

I spoke in favour of the prize on CBC Radio’s The Current in 2018.

Now I’m thrilled to join the ranks of Staunch’s longlisted authors:

Short Story Longlist

     Dalia Dehnavi  –  Anything In This Country

     Malia Márquez  –  A House So Beautiful

     Neal Amandus Gellaco  –  The Mechanic

     Raymond Lee  –  Carson McLure, Senior Sales Associate

     Haley Magrill  –  Flyer

     Susan Morritt  –  I’ve Got The Sauce If You’ve Got The Pasta

     Mark Putzi  –  Another Day

     Gabrielle Rupert  –  Manik

     Polly Sharpe  –  No Place Like Home

     Laura Stanley  – Mrs Hawkins and The Orchard

     Judy Upton  –  The Lion

     Melissa Yi  –  My Two-Legs

Flash Fiction Longlist

     Hayley-Jenifer Brennan  – The Woman In Red Takes The Stand

     Georgia Cook  – A Stickler For Convention

     David Davies  – When The Noise Stopped

     Mary-Jane Harbottle  –  Gold Shoes, Wrong Feet

     Ryan Hays  –  See You Later

     Tim Kelleher  –  Boxed In

     Jennifer Shneiderman  –  Medium Well

     Sophia Zhang  –  1950s Washing Day

On October 1st, they will share the shortlist, then announce the winner on October 12th.

Best of luck, everyone, and keep writing!