I'm on the Edge Hill Short Story Prize long-list

'Some of the biggest names in the literary world have entered their works in the prestigious Edge Hill University's Short Story Prize 2011.'

'The unique accolade, now in its fifth year, is the UK's only literary award that recognises a published collection of short stories and has attracted entries from a number of distinguished writers and newcomers all competing for the winning title.'

I'd be one of those newcomers then. Yay!

http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/news/2011/03/big-names-revealed-in-edge-hill-short-story-prize

Literature Wales ran a story too:

Three Welsh Writers longlisted for Edge Hill Short Story Prize

Three Welsh Writers on Long List
for Prestigious Award

Welsh writers Vanessa Gebbie, Susie Wild and Martin Bax are on the long list for the prestigious Edge Hill University's Short Story Prize 2011.

The unique accolade, now in its fifth year, is the UK's only literary award that recognises a published collection of short stories and has attracted entries from a number of distinguished writers and newcomers all competing for the winning title, the author of which will receive £5000. There is also a Reader’s Prize of £1000.

• Vanessa Gebbie - Storm Warning, Echoes of Conflict (Salt Publishing). The journalist and award-winning short fiction and flash fiction writer is also the editor of Short Circuit: A Guide to the Art of the Short Story.
• Susie Wild - The Art of Contraception (Parthian). The writer, editor and journalist has written for many national publications including The Guardian. Her debut short film, featuring her poem 'Dim Smoking Girls', won The Co-op Award for New Directors at Beyond TV Festival 2007.
• Martin Bax - Memoirs of a Gone World (Salt Publishing). The world-renowned Consultant Paediatrician lives in London and, in addition to his medical career, is editor of the long-running literary journal Ambit which he founded.

This year's long-list has on it an impressive range of award-winning writers, including well-known short story authors Helen Simpson, Michele Roberts and James Kelman. They are against newcomers such as Roshi Fernando and Tom Vowler who already have prizes under their belts. Also on the list are several doctors, a librarian, a former bus driver and a former debt advisor.
The judging panel this year includes scriptwriter and short story author Jeremy Dyson, who is best known as co-creator of the hit West End play Ghost Stories and as a member of the sketch comedy team The League of Gentlemen; Author, presenter and journalist Stuart Maconie, who is currently a columnist for Radio Times, Cumbria Life and Country Walking; and Marcus Gipps, previously of Blackwell books, now an editor at Gollancz.
Jeremy Dyson said: "The variety of work that has been submitted this year is very impressive, and I am sure it is going to be very difficult to whittle it down to a shortlist, let alone to pick a winner.’
The short-list will be revealed in May and the winners announced at an award ceremony at the Blackwell Bookshop, Charing Cross Road, in July.

Click here for further information and to view the longlist in full.