Articles

“More than anything else, Colin wants to have sex. Colin won’t ever have sex. It is up to me to have it for him so I can tell him what the feeling might be like if he ever did, but I just don’t feel like it just now.”

Winner of the Toulmin Prize for 2009, by Eleanor Fordyce

Androcles saw there wis a muckle stob in the pad o his fit. He pulled it oot, cannily an gentle like, an gied the beast a gentle tickle ahin the lugs as he used tae dae tae his maister’s dogs.

There was a wonderful response to the Toulmin story-writing competition, which left the astounded judges with 77 un-named entries to read. The standard was high, and many fine tales must remain untold for now. The winner of the cheque for £500 – the donor wishes to remain anonymous – was Bill Robertson from Banchory, who was amazed at having his story chosen, as it was the first he had ever written. We are sure, with this encouragement, it will not be the last.

A supernatural tale by Frank Woods.