Bridport Prize 2007

piccie: Sweeties. Because that's how I feel. Like a kid who's been at the sweetie jar...
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Dunnit. Got Second Prize at Bridport.

Bridport website link

Oh did I have a good time the last few days.

Chris (long-suffering husband) and I went down to Dorset for a long weekend, and stayed in a lovely village called Burton Bradstock.

On Friday we went fossil hunting on the beaches (all I have to do to find a fossil is look in a mirror, however... the beach drew a blank).

Friday evening we attended a talk by Tracy Chevalier, judge for the Short Story section of this year's Bridport Prize.

Link here to Tracy Chevalier's website.

She talked about her current novel, Burning Bright, inspired by her fascination for William Blake. She read from the novel. Answered questions. And also talked about her novel in progress about fossil hunter Mary Anning. How I would love to find something more exciting than a belemnite!

I had an opportunity to talk to Tracy afterwards, when she signed my copy of Burning Bright. What a lovely person.

The reception, lunch and prizegiving on 17th (yesterday) was a fabulous occasion. made even more special by sitting next to Jon Wyatt the shortlister. We had such a fascinating talk about reading for a comp as big as the Bridport. Further posts to come on this one.

BRILLIANT crowd. All the readers. They asked Chris and I to join them in a local bar after the lunch. Ahem. Suffice it to say that I staggered out of there full of Budweiser and having made a lot of great friends. I hope we meet up again!