Shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize

Last week, while I was away tutoring at Arvon Lumb Bank with the brilliant Kate Clanchy, I got the news that The Stone Thrower has been shortlisted for the prestigious Edge Hill Short Story Prize, previously won by Colm Tóibín, Claire Keegan, Chris Beckett, Jeremy Dyson, Graham Mort and Sarah Hall. I’m thrilled. Just look whose company I’m in on the shortlist – what a massive honour to be among this lot:

• Kevin Barry – Dark Lies The Island (Jonathan Cape)
• Emma Donoghue – Astray (Pan Macmillan)
• Adam Marek – The Stone Thrower (Comma Press)
• Jon McGregor – This Isn’t The Sort Of Thing That Happens To Someone Like You (Bloomsbury)
• Jane Rogers – Hitting Trees With Sticks (Comma Press)
• Lucy Wood – Diving Belles (Bloomsbury)

I was especially happy to see fellow Comma Press author Jane Rogers on the shortlist. Jane was the guest reader on Wednesday night at Lumb, so we got to celebrate together over a bottle of red. And then the next day there was an article in The Bookseller: Comma strikes twice on Edge Hill shortlist.

The winner is announced on 4 July. For updates on the prize, follow @EHUShortStory on Twitter.