Alex Aspden and Hana Gammon’s ‘uncanny’ stories shortlisted for Comma Press’ short fiction award

Alex Aspden, W B Gooderham, Hana Gammon and Jacques Tsiantar have been shortlisted for Comma Press’ 2024 Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction, for their stories on this year’s theme of “The Uncanny”. They are joined on the shortlist by Amy Lord, Phillippa Ball Lewis and Jess Glaisher. 

The prize will be awarded in May and the winner will receive £500, while all seven of the shortlisted stories will be published in a Comma Press e-book released on the same evening. 

The award was set up with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), following the death of the press’ director and founding board member, Dinesh Allirajah, in 2014. In its seventh year now, its aim is “to create a lasting legacy out of Dinesh’s love for writing short story fiction during his lifetime,” and it is open to published and unpublished writers.

“Comma Press is one of the biggest advocates for short fiction around and it’s great to be recognised by them,” Aspden said. 

The entries were shortlisted by students at UCLan, and this year’s panel of judges – who will decide on the winner – comprises UCLan representative Dr Stephen Curtis, writer and lecturer Dr David Hartley, Comma Press editor and journalist David Sue, and last year’s prize winner, Monica Kam. 

On helping to select the shortlist, English and Creative Writing student Elizabeth Gerrard said: “To be responsible for this process was an exciting opportunity. It was interesting to read the writers’ takes on ‘The Uncanny’. There were so many different ideas, I can honestly say each story was unique.”