A Dictionary of Light: The Rhys Davies Short Story Award Anthology

by Elaine Canning (Editor), Brennig Davies, Morgan Davies

In these twelve bold, tender, brilliant stories from the winners of the 2024 Rhys Davies Short Story Competition, adults, children – and even an elephant – are challenged by ghosts of the past and a longing for friendship, meaning and connection as they try to make sense of their worlds.

A group of lads unite on a bridge in the most horrific of circumstances; a family day out to celebrate the mid-harvest festival of Mabon does not go to plan; a research scientist grapples with the ethics of memory harvesting; one man tries to rebuild friendship through fishing; and a dancer disillusioned by broken dreams resorts to desperate means on board a ship. Here, lives are in transition – between cultures and language, past and present, dreams and reality. Characters, scarred and vulnerable, wander, and wonder.

The stories within this collection, both traditional and experimental, present life in its myriad beautiful, heart wrenching, truthful forms.

The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition recognises the very best unpublished short stories in English in any style by writers aged 18 or over who were born in Wales, have lived in Wales for two years or more, or are currently living in Wales. Originally established in 1991, Parthian is delighted to publish the 2024 winning stories on behalf of the Rhys Davies Trust and in association with Swansea University’s Cultural Institute.

Previous winners of the prize have included Leonora Brito, Tristan Hughes, Kate Hamer, Laura Morris and Matthew G. Rees.

200 pages, Paperback

Published May 22, 2025

Reviews

[Zaynah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a unique and interesting collection! The variety of plots and styles was beautiful and refreshing and each one can be appreciated for a variety of things.
A Dictionary of Light is beautiful, sweet, and singular in its form, exploring a relationship with a beloved father in such a unique way.
Pachyderm Hiraeth is soft, bittersweet, sad yet peaceful, pulling on emotions we identify with elephants and expanding and explaining them beautifully.
Scapegoat is dark and unsettling, coming full circle and exploring themes of desperation and power.
Echoes, while not my favourite, explored an interesting part of scifi.
Hearsay is pale and soft, it is beauty and belonging, sad yet peaceful, and definitely unique.
The relationships depicted in Felix are touching and painful yet hopeful as well.
Happy Mabon perfectly depicts moments everyone has in their childhood and teen years which change them inexplicably, exploring themes of resentment and a loss of childhood in a way.
Sometimes I Dream About a Fish goes from sweet to painful and shocking in a pathetic sort of way (I mean this in the best way possible!).
Sunny Side explores the meaning of home in a crass yet sweet way.
The Stopping Train is all about nostalgia and the movement of life captured in soft tones.
The Boys on the Bridge was my personal favourite of the collection. It is beautiful and unique. The pain punches you in the soul and moves you like nothing else.
The Referendum is hilarious and engaging and perfectly captures aspects of politics we often forget in real life.

[Ben Huxley]

A fantastic variety, from tearjerkers to hilarity. Some ingenious experiments with form, too - well worth reading this collection.