Story written for MA course wins major award
Anglia Ruskin graduate Caroline Ward Vine wins literary prize for short story
An Anglia Ruskin University graduate has won the prestigious Costa Short Story Award for a piece that she wrote while studying for her Master’s course in Creative Writing.
Caroline Ward Vine’s story Breathing Water saw off competition from two other finalists to win the prize at the Costa Book Awards ceremony in central London last night [Tuesday, 29 January 2019] – an accolade that also nets her £3,500 in prize money.
The prize was given for the best single, previously unpublished short story of up to 4,000 words, and was voted for by members of the public. More than 1,400 entries were received.
Caroline, who lives in Kent, graduated from her course last year and now runs her own communications consultancy. She previously worked in education and magazine publishing, including as managing director of IPC Media (now TI Media). She is currently working on her debut novel.
Caroline said:
“I’m absolutely thrilled to have won. Breathing Water was up against some wonderful stories and I didn’t dare to hope that this would happen. I’m so grateful to everyone who read and voted for my story.
“This has been an incredible experience. The ceremony itself was amazing. Just being there, mixing with so many of my literary heroes was a delight, but to find myself on stage in front of them accepting this award really was the stuff of dreams.”
Dr Tiffani Angus, Course Leader for the MA Creative Writing at Anglia Ruskin, said:
“Caroline Ward Vine came into the MA Creative Writing course not just with talent but also with a passion for writing and a commitment to succeed.
“We are so proud of her achievements and over the moon about her Costa Short Story Award win. We can’t wait to see what she does next!”