AHC Creative Writing lecturer scoops BBC National Short Story Award
The BBC National Short Story Award is an annual contest open to UK residents
A lecturer at the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures has won the prestigious BBC National Short Story Award for a story about a bicycle courier and inspired by the gig economy.
Ross Raisin, Lecturer in Creative Writing at the School of English, scooped the £15,000 prize for his story, Ghost Kitchen, which novelist and prize judge Jenn Ashworth described as a “standout story from the beginning”.
The story charts a young man’s involvement in so-called ‘ghost kitchens’ – restaurants that only sell food for delivery and do not have a dining room or in-person service. Ross’ interest in ghost kitchens grew during the writing of his 2022 novel, A Hunger, and he has started planning a novel which will include the same characters as the short story and explore new themes within the world of the gig economy.
“I feel very happy,” Ross told the Guardian. “This moment really does give me fuel. Financial fuel, for sure, but more importantly, creative fuel”.
Ross was shortlisted alongside finance lawyer Manish Chauhan and novelists Will Boast, Vee Walker and Lucy Caldwell, who won the prize in 2021. Their stories are available to listen to on BBC Sounds and are also featured in an anthology published by Comma Press.
The BBC national short story award is an annual contest open to UK residents and run in collaboration with the University of Cambridge. Previous winners of the award include Jonathan Buckley, Sarah Hall and Saba Sams.
