Rhys Davies Short Story Competition

In 1967 he won the Edgar, a prize awarded by the Mystery Writers of America, for a collection of stories, The Chosen One (1967), and in 1968 he was admitted to the Order of the British Empire. In 1971 he was given the Welsh Arts Council’s principal prize for his distinguished contribution to the literature of Wales, but could not be persuaded to attend the reception in Cardiff. He died in a London hospital on 21 August 1978.

‘As Wales’ pre-eminent short story writer it’s appropriate that the name of Rhys Davies should be attached to the latest contest for works in this much neglected form. The competition, which began in 1991, has encouraged a whole range of new writers to test out how best to manage something that’s often more substantial than a poem but nowhere near the long distance of the novel. As culture moves ever towards the swifter and the more concise, we are delighted to support the relaunch of this national competition.’ - Peter Finch, Secretary, Rhys Davies Trust