We are delighted to announce that Ben Fergusson has won the 2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Competition with his story 'Piedmont'. Read the full press release.
Forty-six-year-old Ben, who lives in Abergavenny with his husband and son, said:
“It is a complete surprise and a huge honour to win this year's Rhys Davies Short Story Award. And to be in the company of such wonderful writers from Wales in this year's anthology. ‘Piedmont’ is a special story for me. It was inspired by a visit to Piedmont in Italy and the idea of writing about aspects of gay married life, from parenthood to widowhood and loss, that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago. As a gay husband and father living in Wales, it is particularly poignant to win an award named in honour of Rhys Davies – a gay Welsh writer who was not able, in his prolific output of hundreds of short stories, to write explicitly about gay characters. But who, through creative writing, was still able to unpick ideas around social conservatism and the shifting complexities of relationships and personal identities.I am hugely grateful to the readers, judge and organisers for this wonderful award.”
Fergusson's winning story, alongside stories from the other finalists, will be published this October in the 2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Award Anthology, edited by Elaine Canning.
Join us at Swansea Waterstones with Elainne Canning and guest judge Tyler Keevil to celebrate the launch of this wonderful anthology on the 28th of October, free to attend.
