Prizes: £700 first prize, £100 runner up, £50 third prize.

We were delighted with the response to this inaugural short story competition. The quality of the entries was pleasingly high, from writers on every continent except Antarctica (come on guys - it may be cold there but you can't be that busy).

Judging was no easy matter. A well-used theme may have received an exciting new treatment, or a wonderful conception may have been let down by pace or unconvincing dialogue, or an ending that was obvious from paragraph one.

In the end we tried to balance a variety of rather nebulous elements; a well-crafted writing style, a satisfying and convincing created world and, essentially, a compelling voice.

Congratulations, then, to our three winners:

'The Piano Tuner' by Douglas Bruton - First Prize (£700)

'I Peel the Clouds Away' by Andrew Stott - Second Prize (£100)

'A Letter to the Sa'd Family' by Habib Ahmadzadeh - Third Prize (£50)

We'd also like to give Honourable Mentions to Ann Litchfield for 'The Coffee Shop' and to Alex Hijmans for 'Black Coffee'.

Don't forget that the Writing Forge Creative Writing Course is the perfect place to hone your skills, with focussed feedback from your personal tutor - check out the full details here.

Finally, watch this space for details of the next short story competition, to be announced before the end of the year...