Bill Bryson on writing

You may know that one of the Global Short Story Competition’s biggest supporters since it began is best-selling author Bill Bryson OBE, pictured here during his time as Chancellor of Durham University, in North East England, the region in which competition organisers Inscribe Media are based.

His comments, provided when he announced his support six years ago and as relevant now as when he penned them, should inspire all writers.

Bill, authors of books including Notes from a Small Island, said: “From as far back as I can remember, I have been blissfully enchanted by the art of storytelling.

“I once read that the skill of a great writer or storyteller is the ability to capture the reader and seduce them into accompanying you on your journey – a journey which so often is loaded with personal experiences, prejudices and imagination. This is a maxim that I have often thought of but at times found so difficult to fulfil.

“The demise of our traditional communities and the compromises of modern family life mean that, for many, the telling or re-telling of stories is a forgotten craft as the demand for multimedia experiences and the mind-numbing repackaging of tired tales continues to rise.”

“It is wonderful therefore to hear that a competition has been developed to showcase new creative talent and, in, turn create a community of writers and story-makers across the globe.”

John Dean