Adam Marek:
In 'Watching', we meet a mysterious first person narrator and immediately wonder who it is and what they want with the young boy who is the object of their fascination. I was kept guessing throughout the story, the writer wrong-footing me several times before the end. When you keep a reader dangling like that, you've got to make sure the reveal at the end is unexpected and satisfying, and in this story, it most definitely was.
Synaesthesia Magazine Short Story Competition 2014
Runner-up:
Tim Stevenson