Culture

2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Competition winner announced

03 Sep 2026 3 minute read

Ben Fergusson. Image: (c) Christian Werner

Nation Cymru staff

A writer living in Abergavenny has been crowned the winner of the 2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for his ‘extraordinary’ story of love and loss which will appear in an upcoming anthology.

The award recognises the very best unpublished short stories in English in any style and on any subject up to a maximum of 5,000 words by writers aged 18 or over who were born in Wales, have lived in Wales for two years or more, or are currently living in Wales.

‘Piedmont’ by Ben Ferguson tells the story of two mothers who arrive in Italy in the dead of night, strangers brought together due to unprecedented circumstances involving their sons. As they confront unfamiliar territory, unknown truths, and distorted memories, they grapple with their own sense of self and responsibility in this extraordinary story about love and loss.

Forty-six-year-old Ben, who lives in Abergavenny with his husband and son, said: “It is a complete surprise and a huge honour to win this year’s Rhys Davies Short Story Award. And to be in the company of such wonderful writers from Wales in this year’s anthology.

“‘Piedmont’ is a special story for me. It was inspired by a visit to Piedmont in Italy and the idea of writing about aspects of gay married life, from parenthood to widowhood and loss, that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago.

“As a gay husband and father living in Wales, it is particularly poignant to win an award named in honour of Rhys Davies – a gay Welsh writer who was not able, in his prolific output of hundreds of short stories, to write explicitly about gay characters. But who, through creative writing, was still able to unpick ideas around social conservatism and the shifting complexities of relationships and personal identities.

“I am hugely grateful to the readers, the judge and organisers for this wonderful award.”

Originally established in 1991, there have been 13 Rhys Davies Short Story Award contests to date, and in 2021 the competition was relaunched by Swansea University’s Cultural Institute on behalf of The Rhys Davies Trust and in association with Parthian Books.

Acclaimed fiction writer and guest judge Tyler Keevil said: “All the stories selected as finalists are evocative, captivating, and beautifully rendered. In such a strong field, it was particularly difficult to select an overall winner. ‘Piedmont’ stood out due to its rich characterisation, its sense of pathos, and its distinctive use of narrative perspective. Like many classics of the form, it somehow feels like more than a short story: it has the depth and scope of a novel, distilled to its essence. It’s stunning.”

As the winner, Ben receives £1,000, and his story will feature in the Rhys Davies Short Story Award Anthology 2026, published by Parthian in October. Stories from the other finalists will also appear in the anthology.

Winner Ben, judge Tyler Keevil, editor Elaine Canning, Richard Davies of Parthian, and the finalists of the 2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Competition will discuss the anthology at a free book launch celebration at Swansea’s Waterstones on Wednesday 28 October at 6 pm.

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