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The BBC National Short Story Award 2021
A group of teenage boys take turns assessing each other’s changing bodies before a Friday night disco…
A grieving woman strikes up an unlikely friendship with a fellow traveller on a night train to Kiev…
An unusually well-informed naturalist is eyed with suspicion by his comrades on a forest exhibition with a higher purpose…
The stories shortlisted for the 2021 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University take place in liminal spaces – their characters find themselves in transit, travelling along flight paths, train lines and roads, or in moments where new opportunities or directions suddenly seem possible. From the reflections of a new mother flying home after a funeral, to an ailing son’s reluctance to return to the village of his childhood, these stories celebrate small kindnesses in times of turbulence, and demonstrate a connection between one another that we might sometimes take for granted.
The BBC NSSA is one of the most prestigious prizes for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000, and four further shortlisted authors £600 each.
James Runcie is joined on the judging panel by a group of acclaimed writers and critics including: Booker Prize shortlisted novelist Fiona Mozley; award winning writer, poet and winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize, Derek Owusu; multi-award winning Irish novelist and short story writer, Donal Ryan; and returning judge, Di Speirs, Books Editor at BBC Radio.
A grieving woman strikes up an unlikely friendship with a fellow traveller on a night train to Kiev…
An unusually well-informed naturalist is eyed with suspicion by his comrades on a forest exhibition with a higher purpose…
The stories shortlisted for the 2021 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University take place in liminal spaces – their characters find themselves in transit, travelling along flight paths, train lines and roads, or in moments where new opportunities or directions suddenly seem possible. From the reflections of a new mother flying home after a funeral, to an ailing son’s reluctance to return to the village of his childhood, these stories celebrate small kindnesses in times of turbulence, and demonstrate a connection between one another that we might sometimes take for granted.
The BBC NSSA is one of the most prestigious prizes for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000, and four further shortlisted authors £600 each.
James Runcie is joined on the judging panel by a group of acclaimed writers and critics including: Booker Prize shortlisted novelist Fiona Mozley; award winning writer, poet and winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize, Derek Owusu; multi-award winning Irish novelist and short story writer, Donal Ryan; and returning judge, Di Speirs, Books Editor at BBC Radio.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 13, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 20, 2021
Click on each title to hear the stories for free on BBC Sounds. The first story will be broadcast on September 20th, with a new story for the following four days.
All the People Were Mean and Bad, by Lucy Caldwell
A crying toddler on an airplane is something that evokes either anger or sympathy, depending on where you stand. As a parent, it’s my worst nightmare, but this story is a beautiful take on the situation. Our narrator, a mother traveling alone on a long haul flight with her toddler, sits next to an incredibly compassionate man, and they form a strange, seductive bond.
The use of second person narrative, not to mention the extremely realistic portrayal of motherhood, made this an incredibly relatable story. Ecstatic to see Caldwell back on the list; her 2019 shortlisted story, The Children, was incredibly moving.
The Body Audit, by Rory Gleeson
Thankfully, I don’t have any experience of dormitories occupied by teenage boys. I have a mental image (as well as a corresponding aroma), but The Body Audit was a refreshing change to the reputed “locker room” culture. Rather than gruesome stories and smells, this was about a group of young men addressing their insecurities, and building each other up. Gleeson has created an incredibly realistic group of characters, and I would genuinely love to think this is how teenagers in 2021 speak to each other. An unexpectedly beautiful story.
Night Train, by Georgina Harding
I really bloody love trains. I’m constantly looking at potential train-based vacations, aimed at people double my age. So this story was right up my alley. Harding’s story has a real evening glow about it. Alice has recently lost her mother. She takes a solo trip to Eastern Europe, and ends up sharing a sleeper cabin with a local woman, Iryna. Alice’s thoughts of her departed mother dominate the story, but the brief conversations Alice and Iryna have are so comfortable and warm, despite the fact they are complete strangers. This story was incredibly warm, with a hint of sadness, and beautifully told.
Toadstone, by Danny Rhodes
I’m an absolute sucker for weird, English, small-town traditions. Before I hot-footed it to California, I lived in the north of England for the first 30 years of my life, so I’ve seen my share of inexplicable but harmless ceremonies.
Toadstone is a gorgeous story of a man in the middle of a health scare, going back to his hometown. Along with revisiting his former life, he participates in a yearly act that aids amphibian advancement. He also comes across a strange object, which may prove to be the cure to his health issues. Another fantastic story, and Rhodes has created people and places that feel very familiar to this expat.
Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast, by Richard Smyth
I’ll admit, when I heard the title to this, I rolled my eyes at the anticipated pretension. But, as it turns out, this may actually be my favorite shortlisted story.
This gem is told in the form of reports, written by a Russian operative spying on botanist Shirkov, and his travel companion Nikitin. The story is told in such an innovative way to; I hesitate to share details of the plot, because it unravels so beautifully. It’s magnificent, and it’s my favorite to win this year.
All the People Were Mean and Bad, by Lucy Caldwell
A crying toddler on an airplane is something that evokes either anger or sympathy, depending on where you stand. As a parent, it’s my worst nightmare, but this story is a beautiful take on the situation. Our narrator, a mother traveling alone on a long haul flight with her toddler, sits next to an incredibly compassionate man, and they form a strange, seductive bond.
The use of second person narrative, not to mention the extremely realistic portrayal of motherhood, made this an incredibly relatable story. Ecstatic to see Caldwell back on the list; her 2019 shortlisted story, The Children, was incredibly moving.
The Body Audit, by Rory Gleeson
Thankfully, I don’t have any experience of dormitories occupied by teenage boys. I have a mental image (as well as a corresponding aroma), but The Body Audit was a refreshing change to the reputed “locker room” culture. Rather than gruesome stories and smells, this was about a group of young men addressing their insecurities, and building each other up. Gleeson has created an incredibly realistic group of characters, and I would genuinely love to think this is how teenagers in 2021 speak to each other. An unexpectedly beautiful story.
Night Train, by Georgina Harding
I really bloody love trains. I’m constantly looking at potential train-based vacations, aimed at people double my age. So this story was right up my alley. Harding’s story has a real evening glow about it. Alice has recently lost her mother. She takes a solo trip to Eastern Europe, and ends up sharing a sleeper cabin with a local woman, Iryna. Alice’s thoughts of her departed mother dominate the story, but the brief conversations Alice and Iryna have are so comfortable and warm, despite the fact they are complete strangers. This story was incredibly warm, with a hint of sadness, and beautifully told.
Toadstone, by Danny Rhodes
I’m an absolute sucker for weird, English, small-town traditions. Before I hot-footed it to California, I lived in the north of England for the first 30 years of my life, so I’ve seen my share of inexplicable but harmless ceremonies.
Toadstone is a gorgeous story of a man in the middle of a health scare, going back to his hometown. Along with revisiting his former life, he participates in a yearly act that aids amphibian advancement. He also comes across a strange object, which may prove to be the cure to his health issues. Another fantastic story, and Rhodes has created people and places that feel very familiar to this expat.
Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast, by Richard Smyth
I’ll admit, when I heard the title to this, I rolled my eyes at the anticipated pretension. But, as it turns out, this may actually be my favorite shortlisted story.
This gem is told in the form of reports, written by a Russian operative spying on botanist Shirkov, and his travel companion Nikitin. The story is told in such an innovative way to; I hesitate to share details of the plot, because it unravels so beautifully. It’s magnificent, and it’s my favorite to win this year.
November 12, 2021
Enjoyed all of these - they are available as audiobooks from BBC Sounds, each one about 30 mins.
July 19, 2022
An amazing collection of short stories. As much as I enjoyed them all, the last story - Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast - is my personal favourite.
November 5, 2021
All the People Were Mean and Bad - Lucy Caldwell (winner)
All the People Were Mean and Bad follows a woman's journey on a transatlantic flight with her 21-month old baby. During the flight, her daughter is reading Noah’s Ark which is where the phrase ‘all the people were mean and bad’ stems from. This particular phrase is what sparks an interesting conversation with a fellow passenger about life, grief and missed opportunities.
What I loved most about this story was how our main character analyses her own life through both internal dialogue and dialogue with the other passenger. Dealing with the loss of a family member, she questions whether her relationship with her husband is everything she wants/needs and I found it really interesting that the author, Lucy Caldwell, uses the stranger and particularly, the kindness of the stranger, to help our protagonist think about her missed opportunities and perhaps how different her life would look had she chosen a different path. A common question I’m sure we’ve all asked ourselves at some point in our lives, and one which we can certainly empathise with.
The Body Audit - Rory Gleeson
The Body Audit took me by surprise as I ended up enjoying it much more than I expected. The story is about a group of young lads at a residential camp who have a slightly out-of-the-ordinary tradition of reviewing each boy’s body. Each boy is called up and stands in front of the group whilst the older boys in the group talk through each part of their body, examining and assessing the teenage bodies in front of them. However, there is one boy, Greg, who is dreading the ritual more than anyone else because he is incredibly ashamed of his body; so much so, it’s left him feeling suicidal on some days.
Yet this story isn’t about body shaming, it’s about body positivity. I think so often we can assume that issues around body image only affect women but this story reminds us that men suffer from body shaming too. The short story explores the ways in which men and especially young, teenage boys are led to believe that the ‘ideal man’ has a chiselled physique, a strong jaw line and a good head of hair. Yet bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Each body is unique and should therefore be celebrated. And in this lovely short story, author Rory Gleeson does just that.
Night Train - Georgina Harding
Night Train gave me all the Agatha Christie vibes. The story follows a retired woman, Alice, who is taking her first trip on her own following the death of her mother. Her mother’s last wish was to have a ‘real life’ and so our protagonist lives out her mother’s dream by taking the sleeper train from Kyiv to Lviv in the Ukraine. During this trip, she meets the fabulous Irina, who she shares her train compartment with. Through Irina, she learns about the reality of war and the effects it has had on the Ukrainian population. The difference in experiences allows Alice to look back on her childhood and her relationship with her mother, and how these experiences have shaped her.
I found this story not only great escapism because it allowed me to feel like I was on a sleeper train travelling through the Ukraine, but I also found it beautifully heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. You can really feel that Alice is a little lost, wondering how she got this old in what seemed like such a short period of time. She seems a little lost and not just because she is in a foreign country. You empathise with her because I’m sure we’ve all felt similar to Alice before and needed some time away to find what it is that makes you you again. Yet doing that whilst coming to terms with the death of a family member makes everything even harder, which Georgina Harding depicts beautifully.
Toadstone - Danny Rhodes
I listened to Toadstone whilst out on a walk around my local country park and it was very fitting for my swampy, muddy walk. The story starts with our awkward and lonely protagonist who is waiting for a potential cancer diagnosis. This time gives him time to reflect on how he has lived his life and how the men in his family have come and gone. It is also peak ‘toading’ season, so he returns to his childhood hometown to help his parents and local community group in saving toads from being killed on the road joining his town with the other towns. It is during this experience, that our character learns about the magic healing powers of toad stones which can be found under the eyes of toads.
I really enjoyed this story as it really explored family, ageing and similarly to All The People Were Mean and Bad, missed opportunities. The pending cancer diagnosis adds an extra layer of worry and sadness to our protagonist’s story and we can’t help but want to shake him and tell him to live his life the way he wants, the way he’s always wanted. It was quite a deep and emotional story, with moments of humour and satire that in the true British way, make the moments of sadness not quite so sad.
Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast - Richard Smyth
I have to say that personally I found Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast quite difficult to follow. The story was inspired by Richard Smyth’s delve into the archives of the academic journal ‘Environmental History’ where he discovered historical information on ‘The Great Stalin Plan for the Transformation of Nature’. The story features a group of Russian scientists and officers and within the narrative conjures a world of Soviet scheming, subterfuge and suspicion that underpins a story about the power of nature, humanity and human connection.
I guess perhaps the reason I didn’t enjoy this as much as the other four stories was because it is written in report/diary format and as an audiobook, it was difficult to envisage. However, I have a slight inkling that this might actually be the winning story as includes a huge bit about moths, which actually feature on the front cover of this year’s anthology, so maybe it’s worth a re-read!
All the People Were Mean and Bad follows a woman's journey on a transatlantic flight with her 21-month old baby. During the flight, her daughter is reading Noah’s Ark which is where the phrase ‘all the people were mean and bad’ stems from. This particular phrase is what sparks an interesting conversation with a fellow passenger about life, grief and missed opportunities.
What I loved most about this story was how our main character analyses her own life through both internal dialogue and dialogue with the other passenger. Dealing with the loss of a family member, she questions whether her relationship with her husband is everything she wants/needs and I found it really interesting that the author, Lucy Caldwell, uses the stranger and particularly, the kindness of the stranger, to help our protagonist think about her missed opportunities and perhaps how different her life would look had she chosen a different path. A common question I’m sure we’ve all asked ourselves at some point in our lives, and one which we can certainly empathise with.
The Body Audit - Rory Gleeson
The Body Audit took me by surprise as I ended up enjoying it much more than I expected. The story is about a group of young lads at a residential camp who have a slightly out-of-the-ordinary tradition of reviewing each boy’s body. Each boy is called up and stands in front of the group whilst the older boys in the group talk through each part of their body, examining and assessing the teenage bodies in front of them. However, there is one boy, Greg, who is dreading the ritual more than anyone else because he is incredibly ashamed of his body; so much so, it’s left him feeling suicidal on some days.
Yet this story isn’t about body shaming, it’s about body positivity. I think so often we can assume that issues around body image only affect women but this story reminds us that men suffer from body shaming too. The short story explores the ways in which men and especially young, teenage boys are led to believe that the ‘ideal man’ has a chiselled physique, a strong jaw line and a good head of hair. Yet bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Each body is unique and should therefore be celebrated. And in this lovely short story, author Rory Gleeson does just that.
Night Train - Georgina Harding
Night Train gave me all the Agatha Christie vibes. The story follows a retired woman, Alice, who is taking her first trip on her own following the death of her mother. Her mother’s last wish was to have a ‘real life’ and so our protagonist lives out her mother’s dream by taking the sleeper train from Kyiv to Lviv in the Ukraine. During this trip, she meets the fabulous Irina, who she shares her train compartment with. Through Irina, she learns about the reality of war and the effects it has had on the Ukrainian population. The difference in experiences allows Alice to look back on her childhood and her relationship with her mother, and how these experiences have shaped her.
I found this story not only great escapism because it allowed me to feel like I was on a sleeper train travelling through the Ukraine, but I also found it beautifully heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. You can really feel that Alice is a little lost, wondering how she got this old in what seemed like such a short period of time. She seems a little lost and not just because she is in a foreign country. You empathise with her because I’m sure we’ve all felt similar to Alice before and needed some time away to find what it is that makes you you again. Yet doing that whilst coming to terms with the death of a family member makes everything even harder, which Georgina Harding depicts beautifully.
Toadstone - Danny Rhodes
I listened to Toadstone whilst out on a walk around my local country park and it was very fitting for my swampy, muddy walk. The story starts with our awkward and lonely protagonist who is waiting for a potential cancer diagnosis. This time gives him time to reflect on how he has lived his life and how the men in his family have come and gone. It is also peak ‘toading’ season, so he returns to his childhood hometown to help his parents and local community group in saving toads from being killed on the road joining his town with the other towns. It is during this experience, that our character learns about the magic healing powers of toad stones which can be found under the eyes of toads.
I really enjoyed this story as it really explored family, ageing and similarly to All The People Were Mean and Bad, missed opportunities. The pending cancer diagnosis adds an extra layer of worry and sadness to our protagonist’s story and we can’t help but want to shake him and tell him to live his life the way he wants, the way he’s always wanted. It was quite a deep and emotional story, with moments of humour and satire that in the true British way, make the moments of sadness not quite so sad.
Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast - Richard Smyth
I have to say that personally I found Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast quite difficult to follow. The story was inspired by Richard Smyth’s delve into the archives of the academic journal ‘Environmental History’ where he discovered historical information on ‘The Great Stalin Plan for the Transformation of Nature’. The story features a group of Russian scientists and officers and within the narrative conjures a world of Soviet scheming, subterfuge and suspicion that underpins a story about the power of nature, humanity and human connection.
I guess perhaps the reason I didn’t enjoy this as much as the other four stories was because it is written in report/diary format and as an audiobook, it was difficult to envisage. However, I have a slight inkling that this might actually be the winning story as includes a huge bit about moths, which actually feature on the front cover of this year’s anthology, so maybe it’s worth a re-read!
April 6, 2023
✦ 2.5
March 30, 2023
ALL THE PEOPLE WERE MEAN & BAD
Liked the snapshot into two characters' lives and the brief time they connect, which is the theme for all of these stories and one of my favourite short story tropes. In this one we have a woman with a baby on a plane, sat next to a stranger who shows a lot of kindness towards her. We learn lots about them without really knowing much at all.
THE BODY AUDIT
My favourite of the stories; at first I thought it quite disconcerting. But it turns into a commentary on body positivity and the connections between teen boys, the kind of support between each other you rarely read about in stories of boys & men.
NIGHT TRAIN
An interesting encounter between two women who find themselves in the same carriage on a sleeper train. I enjoyed it for the most part, but remember little about it other than it felt like it just stopped at the end.
TOADSTONE
Melancholy, reflective - but I don't think I really understood it and didn't get much from it.
MAYKOPSKY DISTRICT, ADYGHE OBLAST
An interesting format. We don't get any detailed information about the three men, but the setting and intention is clear. A lot happens and then gets wrapped up in a few short pages.
Liked the snapshot into two characters' lives and the brief time they connect, which is the theme for all of these stories and one of my favourite short story tropes. In this one we have a woman with a baby on a plane, sat next to a stranger who shows a lot of kindness towards her. We learn lots about them without really knowing much at all.
THE BODY AUDIT
My favourite of the stories; at first I thought it quite disconcerting. But it turns into a commentary on body positivity and the connections between teen boys, the kind of support between each other you rarely read about in stories of boys & men.
NIGHT TRAIN
An interesting encounter between two women who find themselves in the same carriage on a sleeper train. I enjoyed it for the most part, but remember little about it other than it felt like it just stopped at the end.
TOADSTONE
Melancholy, reflective - but I don't think I really understood it and didn't get much from it.
MAYKOPSKY DISTRICT, ADYGHE OBLAST
An interesting format. We don't get any detailed information about the three men, but the setting and intention is clear. A lot happens and then gets wrapped up in a few short pages.
November 7, 2022
A brilliant collection of five short stories here. The stand out to me, however, was Toadstone by Danny Rhodes. The feeling of returning home, with all of the past memories overlaid onto a changed present, was done so beautifully.
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September 26, 2021A weaker selection than last year's, but still a solid bit of contemporary short fiction
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews