Watch the August 2016 Winning Short Story Reading.
Reading Performed by actor Julian Ford
Thoughts of a Soldier by Cornelia Fick
Get to know the winning writer:
1. What is your 1pg Short Story about?
‘Thoughts of a soldier’ is about a fictitious war during the struggle to overthrow apartheid.
2. What genres would you say this short story is in?
This is a literary story, experimenting with punctuation.
3. How would you describe this story in two words?
Poignant, intriguing
4. What movie have you seen the most in your life?
I’ve seen ‘Gone with the wind’ a number of times.
5. How long have you been working on this story?
I wrote this story long ago and kept returning to it to refine it. Finally, I worked on it during my MA Creative Writing degree at Rhodes University and perfected it (I hope).
6. Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
Yes. I re-read John Steinbeck’s Of mice and men every few years. I love the story.
7. What motivated you to write this story?
So many people died during the struggle to overthrow apartheid, young people, and I wanted to remember them; their sacrifice and commitment to create a country where my children can grow up and be free to pursue their dreams.
8. What artist would you love to have dinner with?
I would love to have dinner with Nelson Mandela. We could discuss the path of forgiveness, difficult for me, and I would report on our progress and hear his views.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I love to read books, going to the theatre, spending time with my family and playing ‘Plants vs. zombies’.
10. What influenced you to enter the 1pg. Short Story contest?
Someone approached me on Goodreads and I thought it was a great idea to publicise my debut collection of short stories, Eye of a needle, which will be published on 30 September.
11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Persevere. It’s a difficult path with little monetary reward (for me at least!) but one day you may hit the jackpot. Write for yourself, what moves you; that is infinitely more satisfying.
*****
Producer/Director: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Editor: John Johnson
Casting: Sean Ballantyne
Novel Writing Festival 