The Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award shortlist is revealed

4 March 2012

A shocking story set during the American War of Independence is in the running to win The Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award 2012. 'The Hunt' by Room author Emma Donoghue is joined on the shortlist by stories exploring a diverse range of contemporary issues from school shootings to the plight of migrant communities to the ongoing British obsession with finding a good beer. The £30,000 Award is the biggest in the world for a single short story.

The six shortlisted writers and the titles of their short stories are:

Kevin Barry - 'Beer Trip to Llandudno'
Emma Donoghue - 'The Hunt'
Jean Kwok - 'Where the Gods Fly'
Tom Lee - 'The Current'
Robert Minhinnick - 'El Aziz: Some Pages From His Notebooks'
Linda Oatman High - 'Nickel Mines Hardware'

Irish author Kevin Barry has gone one stage further than last year when he was longlisted for the Award. His story follows a tight-knit group of ale-obsessed men travelling from Liverpool to Llandudno for their latest bittersweet tasting trip.

Emma Donoghue is also Irish and has now settled in Ontario, Canada. 'The Hunt' is a disturbing tale told through the eyes of one young soldier. It is based on a historically documented mass rape that took place in 1776.

Jean Kwok emigrated from Hong Kong to Brooklyn when she was a child. Her story explores the hardships and choices that migrant families must face as they look to make a new life.

Tom Lee is currently completing a PhD at Goldsmiths College. 'The Current' examines the altered and sometimes strained relationship between father and son after the father has had treatment for a mysterious illness.

Welsh novelist and poet Robert Minhinnick's story charts the chequered progress of an Iraqi man who makes his way across Europe to the UK where he becomes a care- worker.

Pennsylvania author Linda Oatman High's 'Nickel Mines Hardware' considers the devastating effects of a high-school shooting on a traditional Amish community.

Head over to the prize page to find out more