Unbelievable News!

So it's taken me a couple of weeks to process this news, but apparently, my story “The Three Times Rule” won the CBC Short Story contest! It's extremely hard to believe! When I got the phone call, all I could say was, "That's crazy!" I think I said it six or seven times, until the woman from CBC interjected, "Crazy good though, right?" and I said, "Yes!" Anyway, I am still somewhat in shock. I also feel incredibly grateful to have somehow been selected from what I'm sure was an impressive crop of stories from all across the country.  

And I don't know which part of the prize I feel most excited about. It's been really gratifying to see my racy little story appear in EnRoute magazine (the hard-copy even has an advisory warning on top which I love). I am so excited to be reading at the Blue Metropolis literary festival later this month, and I am thrilled at having the opportunity to take some time off work using the prize money and to have two weeks at The Leighton Artists' Colony in Banff to write something new. So, generally, I'm just feeling so so lucky and happy about all this...and a little black and blue from all the pinching...

To read my Q&A on Open Book Ontario, click here.

CBC Short Story Prize Winner, 2013

CBC Short Story Prize Winner, 2013

Becky Blake