A Thought-Provoking and Emotionally Charged Anthology
The third paid fiction contest from Blank Spaces magazine and Chicken House Press culminates in the publication of a powerful short story collection
Eight Canadian authors are being represented in an anthology of short stories titled Will There Be a Sunset?, officially releasing April 28, 2024 from Chicken House Press.
The writers—Anne Baldo, Gary Kirchner, Barbara Lehtiniemi, Chris J. Meyer, Cheryl Skory Suma, Liz Torlée, Juliette Willows, and Ronald Zajac—were all participants in a 2023 fiction contest hosted by Blank Spaces, a literary arts magazine from West Grey, Ontario.
The contest opened in June of 2023 and a longlist was determined by Alanna Rusnak, owner of Chicken House Press and editor-in-chief of Blank Spaces. The fifteen stories that progressed beyond the first stage of the contest were carefully considered by a judging panel of Blank Spaces team members and past contest winners. Through thoughtful discussion and debate, the team decided on a final list of eight that were sent on to a guest judge—Ace Baker of Coquitlam, British Columbia (author of How to Make a Killing Jar and the winner of the 2022 fiction contest—who took on the responsibility of awarding a cash prize of nearly $200 to the top story.
During a live Zoom event in December, Baker awarded the prize to Juliette Willow of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, for her moving short fiction, “Golden,” saying ”strong, connotative language, deep symbolism, and detailed imagery make this story a work of art.”
Willow’s story, along with the other seven selected by the judges, appear within the collection, presenting vastly unique takes on the broad question of ‘Will There Be a Sunset?’ resulting in a thought-provoking read that oscillates between tender, surprising, and wrenching.
“The stories in this anthology do indeed include brilliant sunsets, stark photographs, and detailed paintings,” Baker cites in the foreword of the book. “The imagery will make characters, settings, and plots live inside your mind.”
Will There Be a Sunset? is available in paperback from the publisher at chickenhousepress.ca, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered from your local bookstore . Ebooks can be obtained through Amazon, Kobo, Nook, and Apple.
