Winning Stories 2014

After each reading all 65 entries to the SXB Write A Story Competition, the three judges began the challenging task of selecting the 20 short-listed stories and then determining the winners and runners-up in each of the four categories.

After a months’ deliberation, the judges provided the short-list to the Competition Committee, who announced the 20 short-listed stories to the public.  The winners and runners-up, however, were kept under wraps until the first-ever Awards Ceremony of the SXB Write A Story Competition, which was held on April 15, 2014, at the Librairie Kléber in Strasbourg.

At the ceremony, before an audience of 100-plus attendees, the judges announced the following winners and runners-up in each category.

Winners and runners-up in each category

To read each winning story, simply click on its title.

Under 18, non-native speaker

  • WINNER — RUN” by Maylandie Kuntz
  • RUNNER-UP — “The Shy Boy from Oran” by Deborah Celiento

Under 18, native speaker

18 and over, non-native speaker

  • WINNER— “The Messenger” by Thobias Bergmann
  • RUNNER-UP — “Somewhere East” by Stephanie Wildeshaus

18 and over, native speaker

  • WINNER — “Stained” by Maria Clevy
  • RUNNER-UP — “Death is Awaiting You” by Mark Neville

The Short-listed Stories

The Competition Committee and the judges would like to congratulate all 65 writers who entered this years’ competition, especially the short-listed writers listed below, for their contribution in making this first effort a success.

(in alphabetical order by writer)

Under 18, non-native speaker

  • “The Shy Boy from Oran” by Deborah Celiento
  • “Your Eyes” by Emilie Dauphine
  • “Run” by Maylandie Kuntz
  • “No Wonder in Land” by Inès Marzouk
  • “When the Pool Becomes Home” by Alexia Muresan

Under 18, native speaker 

  • “Short Story” by Valerie Fieberg
  • “The Exchange” by Naomi Littolff
  • “When Curiosity Almost Killed Kat” by Alice Neville
  • “The Secrets of the Night” by Matteo Righi
  • “The Mourning of the Young” by Fergal Wraith

Eighteen and over, non-native speaker 

  • “The Messenger” by Thobias Bergmann
  • “The Pen” by Snezana Jacevski
  • “Bee Me!” by Stephanie Kovacs
  • “Help” by Pierre Thierry
  • “Somewhere East” by Stephanie Wildeshaus

Eighteen and over, native speaker 

  • “Man and his Daughters” by Angela Brewer
  • “Stained” by Maria Clevy
  • “Death is Awaiting You” by Mark Neville
  • “Surfin’ the Net” by Bob Taylor
  • “Reflections” by Theo Wels