Hope And Grief Mingle In WAWA Creative Nonfiction Stories

Many were sad, some bittersweet, others held a hint of humor. Still others, hope.

With the theme being ‘endings,’ it was only natural that many story entries for our latest ‘Wild Atlantic Writing Awards’ (WAWA) would be about losing loved ones, close family members whether they be partners, parents or grandparents. Even siblings and longtime friends. Such stories were heartbreaking in their depiction of loss, grief and the struggle to deal with the hollow emptiness that inevitably follows.

Some stories on death were immensely inspiring, about people whose own suffering and the suffering it caused to those around them was such they made the courageous decision about assisted dying.

Others focused on endings in a very different way. On endings that created new beginnings. Leaving an unhappy family situation behind, an abusive partner or quarrelling parents, for a brand new start in life. Leaving college, adolescence, to enter the challenging world of adulthood. Leaving one’s country of birth to emigrate far from family to a far-flung country.

Nostalgia was also a strong sentiment in some stories. Remembrance of a love long lost or a memorable journey and the enduring excitement the adventure created. A childhood train trip even. Moments that ended but remain unending in the writer’s mind.

There were also stories filled with hope for the future. A writer in former Communist East Germany crossing the Berlin Wall for the first time. A mother describing both her love and her sense of loss for her coming-of-age daughter as she prepares to leave home for the very first time on her wedding day.

Many congratulations to all those who took the time and effort to write such wonderful stories. While they were an absolute pleasure to read, the challenge, as always, was trying to choose the ten finalists, not to mention the overall winner. To say it wasn’t easy is a complete understatement. It meant reading, re-reading for nuances missed, and lively back and forth discussions among judges. 

For those who didn’t make the final list, please be assured, your story is a winner. It’s a winner because you wrote it and it was probably on the very edge of the finalists list. Give yourself full credit for your accomplishment for you deserve it in spades. Remember, if you want to be a writer, write.

Finalists for the Creative Nonfiction Category of WAWA on the theme of 'Endings' are:

Amanda Sangorski with ‘Family Folklore,’ Helen O’Neill with ‘Losing Your ECCOs,’ Helena Clarke with ‘Counting Down,’ Jacqui Kelly with 'The Crowning Of The May,' Jennifer Berger with ‘Weighing My Options,’ Julia James Burns with ‘The Scissors,’ Lynne Denise Rawson with ‘There Is To Be No Pretending,’ Marie McStocker-Hulme with ‘The Sacredness Of A Bar Of Soap,’ Sarah Das Gupta with ‘Drying The Clothes Of The Poor’ and Sheryl Aronson with ‘Down To The Grave.’

Winner of the Creative Nonfiction Category of WAWA on the theme of 'Endings' is:

Julia James Burns with ‘The Scissors’

The winner will receive 500 euro in cash or a voucher worth 1,000 euro redeemable towards any one of our retreats of their choice this year.

We are also delighted to announce that all the finalists will receive a 10% discount (245 euro) for our writing retreat in Donegal, on the Wild Atlantic Way, Summer Writing Retreat during June 23-29, 2025. 

We look forward to announcing the names of the ten finalists and overall winner of our flash fiction competition on the same theme soon so become a Friend of the retreat (it's free) if you want to be the first to find out.