I am delighted to announce that my essay Bombshell is one of five shortlisted nonfiction entries in Briarpatch Magazine‘s fifth annual Writing in the Margins contest.
Today’s exciting news brings balance for an email I received yesterday, my first rejection letter of 2016. I sighed and resolved to send the story in question out again. It’s all part of the writing life.
Congratulations to the other nine shortlisted writers and poets. A big congrats, too, to Iryn Tushabe, winner of the Best Entry from Regina category. (Briarpatch is based in Regina, Saskatchewan.) Iryn’s story, Gone, will be published online soon.
Judges Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (creative non-fiction) and Stephen Collils (poetry) have chosen a winner and a runner-up in each category. The winning pieces will appear in Briarpatch‘s March / April issue, and runners-up will be posted on their website in the next few weeks.
Read more about Briarpatch on their website, or pick up a copy. Or both. If you like to read about political, cultural, environmental, and social justice issues, you won’t be disappointed.
Chris Galvin 
What exciting news! A great way to start the year! Congratulations!
Thanks, Susi!
Well done, Chris! Fingers crossed, and I look forward to reading the story!
Thanks, Paola! I’ll post the link if it goes up on the website. If it wins, it’ll be in the paper magazine.
hi Chris, Congratulations and hoping for the best news from the judges.
Thanks! Fingers are crossed!
Love hearing about your successes. Congratulations!
I appreciate your support, Caroline!
Congrats! That’s wonderful!
And a very good reaction to the rejection, too. Send it back out. 🙂
Yep, they always get sent out again. Sometimes with a bit of tweaking. Rejections can be opportunities for improvement. 🙂
Congratulations Chris!
Thanks, Mary Jane!
Well done, Chris. What a great start to 2016 for you. Hope it continues in that successful vein.
I hope so too! Hope your 2016 starts off with good news too.
{{{{applause}}} What a great start to the new year and an inspiration to us all to keep those butts in chairs and keep on writing!
Love the applause, Rosie! Thanks! And good news like this really does help to keep the butt in the writing chair.