RTÉ has announced details of the ten new stories which have been shortlisted for the RTÉ Short Story Competition 2024.
Set up in 1986 to honour writer and broadcaster Francis MacManus, the RTÉ Short Story Competition has been a critically important launch pad for new and emerging writers in Ireland.
After fierce deliberation, judges Neil Hegarty, Claire Kilroy and Kathleen MacMahon have selected ten stories to go forward to the shortlist of the RTÉ Short Story Competition.
The stories are:
Artifice, by Sharon Guard
Chambermaid, by Fiona O'Connor
Dead Bait, by Mattie Brennan
Dessie and Hopper, by Susanne Stich
Divination, by Stephen O’Reilly
Once Upon an Algorithm, by Ryan Delaney
Planning the Leftovers, by Sheila Barrett
The Other Órla, by Emer O’Toole
The Rehearsal, by Alexis MacIsaac
Turncoat, by David Ralph
'I’m deeply impressed by the entries submitted to the competition," said Neil Hegarty. "Quite simply, it’s so heartening to see the sheer quality of writing on display. I’m also struck by how these stories track emotional lives in all their variety and complexity: art acts as a barometer of society, of course, but it seems to me that the RTÉ Short Story Competition in particular truly mirrors the preoccupations of our society in the here and now."
Listen to last year's Short Story Competition, Mr Hoo by John O'Donnell
Judge Claire Kilroy added: "There were several recurrent themes: grief, sexual politics and the differences between male and female worlds", with judge Kathleen MacMahon commenting that "human connection was the subject of almost every story we read this year – the need for it, the obstacles to it. In exploring this fundamental theme, this year's Francis Mac Manus finalists showed us once again the wealth of writing talent that exists in Ireland and the ever-renewing energy to explore the landscape of our lives through words."
All ten stories will be published on RTÉ Culture in mid-November, and broadcast over the course of the following two weeks on RTÉ Radio 1’s Late Date.
They’ll also feature on Arena on RTÉ Radio 1, before the overall winner is announced at an Arena special with Seán Rocks at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, at 7pm on Friday 29 November, which all the writers are invited to attend.
On the night there will be performances from all the stories, plus live music; the judges will discuss the shortlist in detail before awarding their top prizes – the winning writer will receive €5,000..
Tickets for that event are now on sale here - you can find out more about the RTÉ Short Story Competition here.
