A big thank you to all who submitted a story to the Book a Break Flash Fiction competition. There were some very good entries, and selecting a winner wasn't easy. So my thanks also go to the judges, Sherry Morris and Phil Baarda, who settled on the following list:
Overall winner: Chris Cottom for his story Puffins Waiting.
"Puffins Waiting is a poignant story of a final family holiday, with a strong last image and ending, where we see each character waiting for their destiny, like the puffin motif of the title."
Second: Amy Durant for her story The Last Summer
Third: Abigail Williams for her story Because Goats Are Rarely The Solution
Highly Commended: Chris Cottom for his story Wouldn't It Be Loverly
These stories will be published later this year in The Best of the Book a Break, a compilation of selected stories from this and previous competitions, with the proceeds going to the Little Sapphires School in Madagascar.
Thanks to the competition donations, a little over 300 euros was raised. Further initiatives are under way with students from Aix-Marseille University, so this year's full total will not be known till June. The current aim is to carry out repairs caused by the last cyclone and to build a study for the headmistress. The Book a Break contributions will be a precious help.