Brief
Cherise Saywell wins BBC national short story award for ‘Ditto’
Saywell’s story, set in an isolated Australian town, earned the prize at a ceremony in BBC Broadcasting House.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Edinburgh‑based author Cherise Saywell was announced as the winner of this year’s BBC national short story award, receiving £15,000 for her story “Ditto”, which follows a young boy confronting domestic violence in an isolated Australian town. The award was presented at BBC Broadcasting House on Tuesday evening, in a ceremony run in partnership with the University of Cambridge.
Saywell, born in Australia and resident in Scotland since 1996, said she wanted to explore how children experience violence when they lack words for it. “They feel love and fear and responsibility all at the same time, but have no name for what’s happening around them,” she told the Guardian.
Judging panel chair Di Speirs described the story as “taut and beautifully crafted, tender and deeply rooted in one dusk evening and one small town”. The panel also included 2022 winner Saba Sams, former shortlisted writers Tahmima Anam and Will Eaves, and novelist Andrew Michael Hurley.
Saywell beat an all‑female shortlist that featured Irish writer Caoilinn Hughes, Lucy Caldwell, biographer Laura Beatty and Merryn Glover. Each shortlisted author receives £600, and the stories will appear in a Comma Press anthology and on BBC Sounds.
Key facts
- Cherise Saywell won the BBC national short story award (theguardian.com)
- The prize includes £15,000 for the winner (theguardian.com)
- The winning story is titled “Ditto” and is set in an isolated Australian town (theguardian.com)
- The award ceremony was held at BBC Broadcasting House (theguardian.com)
- Judging panel chair was Di Speirs (theguardian.com)
Sources
- [1] theguardian.com — originally reported as “Cherise Saywell wins national short story award for ‘tender’ tale of a child facing violence – read an extract here”
