We’ve been delighted by the huge response to our 100-word-story competition. The entries have flooded in thick and fast during the past few months, but while we’ve enjoyed reading every story, only a few can come out on top!
You, our readers, voted to whittle the shortlist down to the ultimate winners, which are revealed overleaf, alongside comments from our judges and the winners themselves.
ADULT Winner
WHAT SHE WOULD RATHER TELL A STRANGER by Rachel O’Cleary, Tipperary
My mother’s bare foot rests in my lap, softer than expected, toenails thick. My knuckles complain as I squeeze the clippers. “Call me Lily,” she says, and I think, I paint her toenails “Big Apple Red” while she talks about her estranged daughter, gone to the city years ago. “That girl was always an odd one,” she says. “I’ll bet she leaves me here to