After long listing last year, this year, my story In the orbit of Pluto won third place in the annual Short Story competition. Here’s the comments of judge Sheila Burgher
Another terrifying and truly shocking story, I was literally gripping the sides of my chair while I read this and willing this story to end differently to the way it did. Set in contemporary Dublin, the story focuses on a gangland killing and the terrible consequences of that act. From the outset, I knew this one wasn’t going to end well but I kept hoping I was wrong. Despite this, the ending truly did shock me and I salute whoever wrote this brilliantly crafted story. Rich in the Dublin dialect, the tragic lives revealed in this story lingered long after I’d finished.
Read the story plus the winner here: http://www.flash500.com/index_files/ssr17.htm