You Won't Silence Me!

Did someone say the word recognition? Did someone say there was a sweet, sweet smell of recognition hanging around carelessly in the air? Yes, I believe someone did say that, and that someone was me - hello, hey ho, hello, it's the Poet (a word that is difficult to rhyme sensibly with). Your good old Poet said this after placing well in the contest where I submitted Trygghetszonen ("The Safe Place"). But your good old Poet has some more news, and more things to say, and she won't be silenced!

My endeavour for 2011, particularly the summer (inbetween class and work, I was exceedingly bored), was to participate in every writing contest I could find, and so far, I've managed to keep this promise I made to myself. In fact I not only kept it but managed to achieve some of my underlying goals - practicing to write towards a deadline, and just maybe getting my name out there, in any way possible. To realize this endeavour I temporarily abandoned writing in English in order to enter Swedish short story contests, and one essay contest. To your Poet's extreme happiness - one of these contests went well, and more than well.

Yesterday it became official that I won first prize in the Metro 2033 short story contest. The prize is that I get to travel to the capital (Stockholm) on Monday, meet with Russian author of the praised novel Metro 2033, and receive a diploma from him personally. I'll also be rewarded with five books of choice from the publisher who has published the author's books. It's not so much the prize that amazes me - although it does, it's in fact one of the coolest things I've ever won - as the fact that I won, that the jury would deem my little story about Selma/Viveka to be so good, that it would win the entire competition... it's just a magical thought, it's just compelling, and I don't think I've ever felt so special as a writer. Perhaps it's the confirmation part, which is really what has been my driving force all along - the thought that someone would pick up something I wrote and just get it, just understand it, and if not understand it, well then think about it. To be meaningful in that way, to someone who's judging it objectively, and who isn't telling you it's great because you're close to them and you're obliged to do so. Of course this was a contest and perhaps different, but we're still talking about prose - prose, my lover, my best friend, my passion and companion through the darkness... to me, this is more than big.
It means the world.

I understand if all of these contests mentioned everywhere might seem confusing and therefore I have compiled a little list of the writing contests I've been part of, and their current status.

1. Icakuriren's annual short story contest
   Theme: "The key"
   Contribution: Trygghetszonen (roughly, The Safe Place)
   Status: Announced
   Placed in the category 4th-10th. I won an inspiring book package and publication in Icakuriren's annual compilation of the winners, along with the other 9 stories in the category!
2. Vulkan's essay contest 2011
   Theme: "Stereotypes"
   Contribution: Människan behöver stereotyper (roughly, People need stereotypes)
   Status: Announced
   Placed among the jury's favorites, and got published in Vulkan's essay compilation. This is despite the fact that I seemed to misinterpret the 'essay' part and wrote something very scientific and objective, completely lacking personal opinions, whereas what it referred to seems to have been a What-did-you-do-this-summer type of essay from grade eight.
3. Coltso's and Dmitry Gluchovskij's short story contest Metro2033
   Theme: Write your own short story, in the same universe as the novel Metro2033
   Contribution: Sagan om Viveka (the English working title for this story is Viveka's Tale)
   Status: Announced
   Won first prize, train tickets to Stockholm to meet with Dmitry Gluchovskij at the Science Fiction Bookshop and accept a diploma from Gluchovskij in person; as well as five books of choice from Coltso's published books.
4. Stockholm City Library and Sveriges Radio's short story contest
   Theme: Story must include one vampire
   Contribution: Drömsnö (roughly, Dream Snow)
   Status: To Be Announced
   The city library will announce the results in November 2011.
5. SKRIVA's annual short story contest
   Theme: Must be in genre/genres science fiction, fantasy or horror
   Contribution: Vangelis (English title is the same)
   Status: To Be Announced
   This year generated around 150 stories, that's all I know for now.

I hope that cleared stuff up. There's one more contest to go but I haven't sent anything in yet, and frankly, after all this writing I am out of all ideas...
POET IN THE RECOGNITION JAR