Unsuspecting prize winner flies 4,500 miles to pick up award in Bedford

Every year, the competition brings international and national authors, poets together in Bedford to celebrate and promote writing.

Authors and poets were notified when they had been shortlisted - but the final prize winners were only announced on the award night at the Quarry Theatre.

Shortlisted writer, Torshia Seales, travelled all the way from her home in Trinidad and Tobago to the presentation evening.

She had no idea she would be among the prize winners but decided to fly over. When the results were announced, there was a spontaneous whoop of delight from Torshia’s group – hers was the winning story, The Longest Rope.

The Young Writers' Prize went to Ashani Lewis for Farewell Bend, while the Bedford Prize for a local writer, went to Tilly Abrahams for A Clash of Diets.

In the poetry section, Coda by Sophie Rainbow won the Bedford Prize, while Anthony Watts won first prize in the international competition for The Land of Epilogue.