Earlier this year, Lapidus International held its first ever writing competition with guest judge Julie Primon.
We were very happy with the responses - every submission bringing something new and special to the suggested theme. On Saturday at the Lapidus AGM, the winner of this inaugural competition was announced.
The winner of the 2018 'A Moment of Kindness Flash Fiction' competition is:
Rachel Godfrey for her piece titled 'Impact'
Congratulations Rachel!
Here is what judge Julie Primon had to say about the piece:
There were many wonderful entries to the competition, each offering a slightly different interpretation of the prompt, 'A Moment of Kindness,' and the judging was a slow, meticulous process. Rachel Godfrey's piece, 'Impact,' stood out because of the way, as readers, we move smoothly in and out of the memory portrayed. Rather than having the memory unfurl in chronological order, the narrative reflects the way that memory works after a long time has passed, one detail recalling another, the episode broken out into different pieces that don't exactly fit with one another - nor do they need to. The voice of the narrator comes across clearly, the child's impressions colouring the description of the teacher, while the removal of the cast is served by delicate, evocative language, the inside "soft and warm as the lining of a nest."
Perhaps the appeal of ‘Impact’ is also born of its universality; I certainly remember a few teachers who had a strong and positive influence on my life. Mr Beech speaks only one line in the whole piece, but nothing more is needed. His character is encapsulated by his gesture of kindness – distracting the student who has broken her wrist by drawing circles on her hand, sitting with her until her mother’s arrival. Too often, people like Mr Beech go through life unacknowledged, their kindness taken for granted, and Rachel Godfrey’s piece offers a moving tribute to this humane teacher. A subtle yet powerful response to the theme of the competition.
You can read Rachel's piece in an ebook which will be made available to all next year.
Along with Impact, the book will be filled with the shortlisted pieces from this competition. The shortlisted authors are as follows:
Kathryn Aldridge-Morris
Frances Ainslie
Monika Nagy
Melissa Ganendran
Frances Gapper
Kate Pawsey
Louise Mangos
Kelly Van Nelson
Dixie Darch
Thank you to everyone who submitted! It was wonderful to see such an enthusiastic response to the theme.
Lapidus International will be holding another writing competition in 2019 (most likely poetry), so please watch this space for more information.
If you have any Lapidus-based questions, or would like to share and event/blog post on this news hub, get in touch with Richard at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..