Mother Nurture by Iain McGrath
In making your family soup, you treated thin skins with kid gloves, tempering acerbic onions, softening brittle carrots, before leavening us with sliced leek and an affection of lentils.
Seabeast by Rachel Swabey
Maya bobs in the lizard-grey sea, just out of sight, as the gaggle of eccentrics, thrill-seekers and exhibitionists jostles on the pier, eager to leap towards glory. The serious-looking hang gliders have had their turn, so now it’s time for the amateurs dressed as giant birds or vehicles. The wind whips at their costumes and…
June 2026 Newsletter – Meet Denarii Peters
Hi {{FirstName}} This month, I’d like to share an interview with Denarii Peters, last year’s winner of the Hysteria Writing Competition flash fiction category. Her entry, Spring Dream, Autumn Folly, was published in the Hysteria 11 anthology and will be available to read on the website later this year. Denarri is already a Crystal Clear Books…
May 2026 Newsletter – House of Wraiths
Hi {{FirstName}} Our final category winner for Hysteria 2025 is Denarii Peters. Denarii is already an author with Crystal Clear Books, having produced a collection of short stories titled ‘Will You Walk Into My Parlour‘ in 2024, and the first book in her Ross Ferris trilogy, ‘The Reluctant Reaper‘ in 2025.
Meeting Iain McGrath, Winner of Hysteria 2025 Poetry Category
This month, I’d like to share an interview with Iain McGrath, this year’s winner of the Hysteria Writing Competition – Poetry category. His entry, Mother Nurture, was published in the Hysteria 11 anthology and will be available to read on the website later this year. As part of his prize, Iain will publish a seasonal…
November 2025 Newsletter – The Winners
Hello everyone, and, I’m pleased to announce that the category winners are: Short Story – Rachel Swabey and ‘Seabeast‘ Poetry – Iain McGrath and ‘Mother Nurture‘ Flash Fiction – Denarii Peters and ‘Spring Dream, Autumn Folly‘
November 2025 Newsletter – Competition and Special Offer
Last month revealed this shortlisted entries for each category in the Hysteria Writing Competition, and later this month we will let you all know who has won each category for the competition. In the meantime, there are two things you can do: The first is to enter the Guess The Cover competition and be in…
October 2025 Newsletter – The Shortlist
A little later than expected, as I usually try to get this email out in September, I can finally reveal all 30 shortlisted entries for Hysteria 2025. Congratulations to everyone listed.
Hysteria Writing Competition July 2025 Update
Here at Hysteria HQ, July is spent mostly with the reading teams reviewing the entries. This is time-consuming and exciting because it’s impossible to predict what will unfold on the computer screen next. I’ve already been told there are quite a few stand-out entries which I’m looking forward to reading myself when they make their…
In the Communal Changing Room
How quickly this year is speeding by. Almost half over already and, more importantly, only a few days left to craft your entries to the Hysteria Writing Competition. So, time now to lift those stories and poems from their dark and snug hidey holes and to actually dispatch them. Of course, you will give them a…
