M's short story contest winners announced at Abu Dhabi book fair

A Cape Town native living in Dubai has won M magazine's third annual short story contest, while an 11-year-old Dubai-based American took home the honours in the children's category.

Mark Shadwell, a Dubai resident originally from Cape Town, is the winner of M magazine's third annual short story contest presented in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

Daniel Taylor, an Englishman from Essex living in Abu Dhabi, was the runner-up. Razib Reza Khan of Sharjah, Paul Freeman from London, who lives in Abu Dhabi, and Stephanie MyIchrest, an Australian living in Dubai, also made the shortlist.

In the children's category, 11-year-old Carsen Decker, an American living in Dubai, was the winner and Tzeitel Degiovanni from Malta and but living in Dubai for 11 years was the runner-up.

The winners received an iPad, while the runners up each received Dh1,000 in book vouchers. The prizes are sponsored by the book fair and vouchers generously donated by Jashanmal.

The magazine editors judged the children's entries and chose the adult shortlist. The adult winner and runner-up were selected by the London-based Iraqi author and activist Haifa Zangana.

The stories by the adult winner will be published in M magazine in our Summer Reading Issue on August 6 and the shortlisted stories will be published throughout the month of August.