Tag Archives: short story

2025 Fiction Competition Now OPEN, Poetry Workshop Report, The One That Didn’t Get Away, and Hay Festival Winter Weekend coming soon!

Posted on October 28, 2025 by thehaywriters

Submissions are now invited for our annual Fiction Competition, The Frances Copping Memorial Prize 2025, named in fond remembrance of our Lifetime President who sadly passed away in 2020.

The competition is open to everyone, members of Hay Writers’ Circle and non-members too. Pieces of 500-1500 words on any fiction theme are accepted. Closing date for entries is Tuesday 6th January 2026. Prizes are awarded for first, second and third place… Continue reading →

Summer Heat, Competition Closed and A Short Story.

Posted on August 14, 2025 by thehaywriters

“We’re Having a Heatwave” (part 4)

As the fourth heatwave of the summer looks to arrive tomorrow, and every flavour of ice cream has already been selected, tasted, and speedily devoured. We’ve also mulled the latest hosepipe restrictions, watched our runner beans shrivel in the sunshine plus, all the strawberries have gone and there are literally wasps everywhere! There are, of course, some of us who are looking hopefully for a cooling autumnal breeze on the horizon. Perhaps next week? Next month? Who can tell? Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Book Reviews, book-review, Books, Creative writing, Dr Alan Bilton, fiction, Hay Writers Circle, Hay Writers., Hay-on-Wye, hayonwye, Heat Wave, literature, Michael Eisele, non fiction competition, Reading, romance, short story, Summer, writing, Writing Groups. | Leave a comment

Hay Festival Sell-Out Success, and “Stepping Out With an ‘E’ ” from Martine Smith

Posted on May 29, 2025 by thehaywriters

Isn’t it fun! Aren’t we all have the greatest time, seeing loads of interesting events and buying lots, and lots, and lots of books! If, like me, your answer is a resounding YES! then you will already be heading over to the Hay Festival website to buy more tickets – we’ve got days and days still to enjoy! Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ange Grunsell, Book Festival, Books, Creative writing, Emma van Woerkom, fiction, Hay Festival, Hay Festival 2025, Hay Festival Anytime, Hay Writers Live, Hay Writers., Hay-on-Wye, hayonwye, Hilary Alcock, Jean O'Donoghue, literature Wales, Margaret Blake, Mark Bayliss, Martine Smith, Nick Thomas, Sam Ashton, short story, writing, Writing Groups. | Leave a comment

Frances Copping Memorial Prize – Winner Announced!

Posted on April 20, 2025 by thehaywriters

We are excited to announce the results of our 2025 Frances Copping Memorial Prize for Fiction Competition, named in fond remembrance of our Lifetime President who sadly passed away in 2020.

This popular competition again received a good number of entries from both inside and outside Hay Writers’ Circle and we very much welcome external interest in all our writing competitions… Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Adele Evershed, Books, Creative writing, Diane Williams, fiction, Fiction Competition, Fiction Prize, Frances Copping, Frances Copping Memorial Prize for Fiction, Gareth Writer-Davies, Hay Festival, Hay Writers., Hay-on-Wye, hayonwye, literature, poetry, Poetry Competition, Poetry Reading, Poetry readings in Wales, Prize Winners, short story, Simon Rae, writing, Writing Award, writing fiction, Writing Groups. | Leave a comment

Jo Jones Remembered

Posted on January 20, 2025 by thehaywriters

Jo Jones Remembered By The Writers’ Circle.

We recently learned of the passing of former HWC Secretary – Jo Jones.
Jo Jones was a member of the Writers Circle in Hay for many years, between 2014-2017 she was the group’s Secretary. She was much valued by all the members of the Circle.

She had been a warden of a mountainside hostel in an earlier incarnation. We rated her as tough and fearless, whilst always seeing the funny side of things, compassionately… Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ange Grunsell, Anthology, Books, Creative writing, fiction, Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, hayonwye, Jean O'Donoghue, Jo Jones, literature, Local News, memorial, news, obituary, short stories, short story, writing, Writing Groups. | Leave a comment

Writing Goals 2025 – Still Time to Enter Our Fiction Competition, and A Fireside Tale by Michael Eisele.

Posted on January 5, 2025 by thehaywriters

Suddenly we are 5 days into 2025, and perhaps considering our New Year Writing Resolutions. One of them should be entering a short story to the Frances Copping Prize Fiction Competition.

The competition is open to everyone, members of Hay Writers’ Circle and non-members too. Pieces of 500-1500 words on any fiction theme are accepted. Closing date for entries is Tuesday 7th January 2025. Prizes are awarded for first, second and third place… Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Adele Evershed, competition, Creative writing, Fiction Competition, Fiction Prize, Frances Copping, Frances Copping Memorial Prize for Fiction, Hay Writers., Hay-on-Wye, hayonwye, literature, Michael Eisele, short stories, short story, Short Story Competition, winter, writing, writing competition | Leave a comment

Announcing The Richard Booth Prize 2024 – Now Open for Submissions

Posted on June 22, 2024 by thehaywriters

Submissions are now invited for our annual Non-Fiction Competition, The Richard Booth Prize 2024, named after one of Hay-on-Wye’s most notable residents and it’s self proclaimed ‘King of Hay’. Richard was always a great supporter of books, Hay-on-Wye and of course, local writers… Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Books, Compeition Judge, Creative writing, creative writing competition, Dr Alwyn Marriage, Hay Writers., Hay-on-Wye, History, journal, Literture Wales, Memoir, Nature Writing, non fiction competition, plagiarism, Plagiarist, prose, Reading, Reading Writing, Richard Booth, Richard Booth Prize for Non-Fiction, short stories, short story, Spelt Magazine, travel writing, Wendy Pratt, writing, Writing Group | Leave a comment

New Historical Fiction Workshop plus a Prize Short Story from Naomi Parsons.

Posted on March 22, 2023 by thehaywriters

*NEW* Historical Fiction Workshop with Dr Alan Bilton, 3rd Prize Short Story by Naomi Parsons and submissions now open for our 2023 Poetry Competition – 1st Prize £100.00. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Creative writing, Creative Writing Workshop, Dr Alan Bilton, fiction, Fiction Writing, Frances Copping Memorial Prize for Fiction, Hay Festival, Hay Writers Circle, Hay Writers., Hay-on-Wye, hayonwye, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Workshop, Landmark Trust, literature, literature Wales, Llwyn Celyn, Naomi Parsons, Poetry Competition, Prize winning Fiction, short story, writing, Writing Groups. | Leave a comment

Winner of the 2022 Frances Copping Memorial Prize for Fiction Announced

Posted on February 25, 2023 by thehaywriters

We are excited to announce the results of our 2022 Frances Copping Memorial Prize for Fiction Competition, named in fond remembrance of our Lifetime President who sadly passed away in 2020…. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Creative writing, Dr Alan Bilton, fiction, Fiction Competition, Frances Copping, Frances Copping Memorial Prize for Fiction, Hay Writers Circle, Hay Writers., Hay-on-Wye, hayonwye, Julie Ann Rees, literature, literature Wales, Michelle Pearce, Naomi Parsons, prize winning short story, short story, writing, Writing Groups. | Leave a comment

A Book, A Workshop and A Fiction Competition.

Posted on December 14, 2022 by thehaywriters

Ellie and Sapiens by Alan Oberman Few climate-fiction novels feature those who benefit from wrecking the planet. Think of a young, Trump-like millionaire profiting from exploiting oil in Bolivia. Charismatic, dynamic, ruthless, that’s Muelo, the anti-hero of Alan Oberman’s forthcoming … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alan Oberman, book, Books, climate change, Creative writing, Dr Alan Bilton, fiction, Fiction Competition, Frances Copping Memorial Prize for Fiction, Hay on Wye, Hay-on-Wye, hayonwye, literature, short story, Short Story Competition, writing, writing competition, Writing Group, writing workshop | 1 Comment