The Judges

Sara Davies
Sara has been producing short stories, books, drama and poetry programmes for BBC Radio 4 for over 15 years. She has commissioned stories and scripts from some of the country’s leading writers. She’s also been delighted to find stories for broadcast by unknown and new writers. Before taking on this proper job she had an eccentric career as a freelance journalist, television presenter, copywriter, teacher and market stallholder.

Patricia Ferguson
Patricia has lived in Bristol for nearly twenty years, and has published five novels and a collection of short stories. Her first novel won the Somerset Maugham award, the David Higham award and the Betty Trask Prize; her last two were both long-listed for the Orange Prize. She currently teaches Creative Writing at Bristol University.

Nik Kalinowski
Nik recently co-wrote the literary reference guide the ‘Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide : World Fiction’. He is also fiction buyer for Waterstone’s in Bristol, and a published photographer. An avid reader, especially of foreign fiction and short stories, he has travelled widely to Australia, America, Thailand and most of Europe.

Mike Manson (Chair)

Novelist, psychogeographer and director of Past & Present Press. Mike is also a contributing editor to Bristol Review of Books.

Joe Spurgeon

Current editor of Venue, Bristol’s number one listings magazine, Joe is also an avid fan of local puppetry, shortcrust pastry pies, Gloucester Road and nerdy Phonogram comics.