Warm greetings to all from Writers in Kyoto. The middle of May has finally arrived! It gives me great pleasure, as WiK Competition Organiser, to announce the Winners of the Sixth Annual Kyoto Writing Competition.
This year we received submissions from writers of various nationalities, based in twenty-one countries throughout the world. We would like to offer our heartfelt appreciation to all participants, and we are honored to be one thread connecting the globe to Japan’s ancient capital. It is touching to see that so many keep the spirit of Kyoto in their hearts and minds, despite the current circumstances which make travel difficult. Many submissions did touch on this point.
While it was very difficult for the judges to settle on their final decision, the winners of the Sixth Annual Kyoto Writing Competition are as follows (with judges’ comments):
FIRST PRIZE:
“Kyoto Time” by Stephen Benfey
This piece is full of rich, dramatic imagery which depicts an older, quieter, slower Kyoto. The main character, Shizuka, embodies this aspect of the city herself: multilayered, silent yet containing music and laughter, and also untouchable by the time that speeds by. The author builds tension and pulls us into the scene with these visual details and subject matter that is both unusual and fresh, also containing an air of uncertainty about Shizuka’s true intentions on her daily walk to the nearby shrine.
SECOND PRIZE:
“Love on a Low Flame” by Amanda Huggins
The longing for a lover is expressed in this seasonal cycle, depicting the passage of time and days growing colder until their return. These thoughts might also occupy one during the Obon season, regarding the metaphysical presence of a cherished one visiting for a short time every year. The final phrase “tadaima” reverberates winningly in the poem, as if someone truly has come home. The poem has immediacy and apt phrase after apt phrase were noted.
THIRD PRIZE:
“Restaurant Boer” by Hans Brinckmann
This was a lovely and generous narrative, full of interesting details about the first Dutch restaurant in Kyoto, and told with humor and warmth. The judges felt that the author was right there, telling us his personal story. While there were cultural factors in the enterprise which caused confusion, it was a delight to see that there was a happy ending after all. It is the imagery of the bridge at the end that makes this brief tale so engaging. A restaurant may have gone by the wayside only to make way for a lifelong partnership.
LOCAL PRIZE:
“Just the Wind” by Lisa Twaronite Sone
The people of Kyoto have always been contemplative of the spirit world. This piece gives pause and makes us think of our mortality in general. The judges liked how this piece suddenly becomes a ghost story at the end. The concept of benign, yet mischievous spirits being carried on a ghostly gust or being carried by a prevailing wind, looking down at the goings on of the city is atmospheric, spiritual, and mysterious – very appropriate for Kyoto.
USA PRIZE:
“Sound Travels” by Tina deBellegarde
The judges appreciated the timely quality of this piece, as it is now difficult to enter the country due to the pandemic. For many, the telephone is now the only way to visit with friends and family members. There is a genuinely heartfelt, wistful longing to this writing. Kyoto’s sounds are very refreshing and lively, and the reader can imagine that they are also on the telephone, accompanying their loved one on a walk to the convenience store and other places around the city.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
“Soul” by Nader Sammouri
“A Drop and a Temple Inside” by Tiziano Fratus
“A Pig Walks the Philosophers’ Road” by Edward Barnfield
Congratulations to all! I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to this year’s judges for their seamless cooperation and hard work.
For the official announcement and submission details of our next WiK Competition (#7), please be sure to check our website in the middle of November. Top prizes include a cash prize of 30,000JPY, local crafts, eligibility for inclusion in an upcoming WiK Anthology, and more! If you have not yet participated in our annual competition, we welcome you to do so in the future.
Warmly,
Karen Lee Tawarayama
WiK Competition Organiser