Watch the September 2016 Winning Short Story Reading.
Reading performed by Erynn Brook
Summer Hills by Rochelle Potkar
Get to know the winning writer:
What is your 1pg Short Story about?
It’s about the states of complacency and hustle as embodied by its characters.
What genres would you say this short story is in?
Haibun, which is a prose-poetry form coming the closest to flash fiction, on a single page.
How would you describe this story in two words?
Summer Hills
What movie have you seen the most in your life?
Sholay (Hindi)
How long have you been working on this story?
A year
Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami)
What motivated you to write this story?
I always wanted to capture the inertia of the rich vis-à-vis the restless hustle of the not-rich.
What artist would you love to have dinner with?
The enigmatic Aishwarya Rai to know what all is she made up of. Beauty, individuality, clarity seem some of her traits from a distance.
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Conversations over coffee
What influenced you to enter the 1pg. Short Story contest?
It’s unique setup of playing recorded stories during a writing festival.
Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Your mind is under threat constantly by opinions meted out each day in the world. Take what works. Watch what you entertain, because the mind is a writer’s sole instrument. Your mind should be in tandem with your gut, if not heart, and it should be in your possession 100%.
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Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Novel Writing Festival 