Anglia Ruskin creative writing lecturer wins short fiction competition

Author Dr Helen Marshall won the prize from a prestigious competition that is judged by American author and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt.

Dr Marshall joined Anglia Ruskin University in January as a lecturer in creative writing and publishing. She won a $5,000 prize after her story, The Gold Leaf Executions, was named best work by an established writer.

The Carter V Cooper Short Fiction competition, named in honour of Gloria Vanderbilt’s late son, is open to all Canadian writers.

Dr Marshall said: “As a previous two-time nominee, I know the quality of the work that appears in the Carter V Cooper anthology and I’m absolutely thrilled to have received this accolade.

“My story The Gold Leaf Executions draws upon my love of ancient history to weave together a patchwork of myths and modern legends – from Danae and Perseus to James Bond; but at its heart, it is a story about the fragility of love and all the terrible, beautiful things that can happen in the world.”

The work of all shortlisted authors will appear in an anthology published by Exile Editions.

Writing in the preface of the anthology, Gloria Vanderbilt said: “The winner of the established category, Helen Marshall’s The Gold Leaf Executions, is at once exquisite and deft.

“Beyond its precision in craftsmanship, it pierces the heart without remorse. It is a marvellous story from a writer who appeared in both our 2013 and 2014 collections as an emerging writer.”

Dr Marshall’s debut novel Everything that is Born, inspired by her research into medieval manuscripts during the time of the Black Death, has been bought by publishers Random House Canada and is due for release in 2018.

You can get a glimpse of some of Helen’s short story books on her website.