Laura Foakes

With over one hundred entries, the first year of the South Wales Short Story Competition proved to be a huge success. The competition was created to give unpublished writers a platform to start their writing careers. We received submissions from around the world but sadly, only a few could be chosen. Candy Jar Books is proud to publish the winners of The South Wales Short Story Competition Volume 1. The stories embrace a myriad of topics, including fairytales and fires, aliens and apocalypses, death and even killer trifles...

Think of a lie - double it - add a pinch of fibbing and a teaspoon of invention. Stir in a handful of clueless adults and a seemingly bonkers classmate, then sit back and wait for the pizza to rise. Danny Quinn isn't exactly lying when he announces that his sister has been reincarnated as a dog. No-one believes him though, so he is sent to The Liars' and Fibbers' Academy where he just learns to tell whoppers more convincingly. Aided by a girl who insists she's a mermaid named Derek, and Inigus Jowly, the school's mysterious caretaker, Danny is able to hoodwink his family until he finally learns the truth. But this turns out to be more outrageous than any fib he could come up with.