Short Stories
Forthcoming, and in progress: A Collection of Short Stories, and Quadrella of Novellas.
UPDATED October 2023:
*** Latest good news!
I am now working on New Short Stories, and also A Set of Novellas. I am toying with the title A Quadrella of Novellas for the latter.
Peachy! So far (as of June 2023) I have completed 82 stories, many at final edit stage, and 26 of which have been preciously published online or in anthologies mazines and journals, etc.
By mid to late 2024, I will probably have enough material for several collections, we will just have to wait and see.
I have been fascinated by short fiction since the mid 1970s. Since that time, around 25 of my own stories have been published in magazine journals, anthologies, newspapers, on websites, etc. I have also edited several anthologies containing new Australian short fiction. The two (or perhaps three) new books I have in in the pipeline, however, will be the first extensive short story/novella collections of my own work.
*Already short-listed, published and prize winners:
Of my newest batch of 20 or so finished stories (ie, those dating back to around 2013/14) nine have already been shortlisted in leading Australian short story competitions and eight published in associated online or prize anthologies. One has won a major first prize, and another a 2nd prize.
My short story, Shadow Dancing, is the latest to be published – in P76 Magazine, Number 8, the Sonic Poetry Festival Edition, Spring 2023. And Shadow Dancing is a humorous fantasy love story set in Newcastle, NSW, about a dancer smitten with his partner Luna, and eagerly awaiting her return. P76 is full of much interesting material, available from Rochford Press, see: https://rochford-pressbookshop.square.site/product/p76-issue-8-sonic-poetry-festival-special-issue/164?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false
(For more details, see the Latest Posts and Publications section of this website.)
I am delighted that my short story, The Stars Shine For Bach, was published in a recent issue of the Oz Music Trust's E-Zine, Loud Mouth. See: https://musictrust.com.au/loudmouth/the-stars-shine-for-bach-a-short-story-by-john-jenkins/
Another short story of mine, Under His Hat, about Mozart and his dad's heist of a secret score, was published in a previous Loud Mouth: https://musictrust.com.au/loudmouth/under-his-hat/
Here is another recently published short story, The Flower in the Buttonhole: https://thehumanwriters.com/2022/01/08/the-flower-in-the-buttonhole/
* FIRST PRIZE, 2018 Elyne Mitchell Short Story Competition
My story, The Girl Who Wasn't There won the Open Section of the 2018 Elyne Mitchell Award, for a story up to 2,500 words. And if you'd like to read all shortlisted entries; a well-produced booklet is available for $15 + $3 postage. (Contact the Corryong Neighbourhood Centre on 02 6076 2176 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
**
2nd Prize, C. J. Dennis Society Short Story Competition
My story, Rosemary's Summer Harvest won second prize in the 2018 C. J. Dennis Society Short Story Competition.
**
So far, completed stories comprise a huge variety: character studies, speculative fiction, tales of the uncanny, hard-nosed realism, naturalistic tales of everyday life, very dramatic stories and atmospheric ones as well. I find all the possibilities equally intriguing, and have many ideas and notes for same. I have also, very recently, completed my first novella (15,00 words-plus) and have several more novellas in progress.
Alan Marshall Short Story Award, shortlisted stories: I was shortlisted for the Alan Marshall Short Story Award in 2022, 2018 and 2017. See: http://www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Living-in/Arts-and-Cultural-Development/Alan-Marshall-Short-Story-Award
2017 and earlier:
The following is a brief sampler of recently published, performed (or short-listed) pieces, going back to around 2016. For news of larger-scale projects, go to main menu categories, above.
2017: My short story, Through a Latte Darkly, was published by Margaret River Press in the prize anthology, Joiner Bay & Other Stories, edited by Ellen van Neerven, 2017. (A previous short story, That Summer at Manly, was published in the MRP 2013 prize anthology, Knitting and Other Stories.
2012 - 2017. My short story, Her Ladyship's Pleasure, which was shortlisted in the 2015 Josephine Ulrick Literature Prize, was included in Volume 14 of the online-only magazine, Review of Australian Fiction (RAF). (Unfortunatey, RAF is no longer being published.)
I will soon approach potential publishers, and will post developments as they happen.
Again, watch this space!
Here is a list of my published and/or shortlisted stories, so far:
‘The Girl Who Wasn’t There’ won the 2018 Elyne Mitchell Short Story Competition and first published in the Elyne Mitchell Short Story Competition booklet, Corryong Neighbourhood Centre, 2018.
Rosemary’s Summer Harvest placed second in the 2017 C. J. Dennis Society Short Story Competition and first published in The Toolangi C. J. Dennis Society Short Story Competition booklet, ed. Daan Spijer, C. J. Dennis Society Inc., 2018.
‘The Bin Chickens’, ‘Clean’ and ‘The Constellation of Emily’ were short-listed for the Nillumbik Shire Alan Marshall Short Story/Contemporary Writing Prize in 2022, 2018 and 2017.
‘Through a Latte Darkly’ was short-listed for the Margaret River Short Story Competition 2017 and first published in Joiner Bay & Other Stories, Margaret River Short Story Competition Anthology, 2017, ed. Ellen van Neerven, Margaret River Press, 2017.
‘Her Ladyship’s Pleasure’ was short-listed for the Josephine Ulrick Literature Prize, 2015 and first published in The Review of Australian Fiction, Volume Fourteen: Issue Five, ed. S. J. Finn, 2015; and re-published in RAF Omnibus Complete Volume 14, ed. Admin, Zutiste Inc., 2015.
‘That Summer at Manly’ was short-listed for the Margaret River Short Story Competition 2013 and first published in Knitting & Other Stories, Margaret River Short Story Competition Anthology 2013, ed. Richard Rossiter, Margaret River Press, 2013.
‘The Beach of Pink Shells’ was short-listed for the Annual Australian Science Fiction Story and Film Competition, 2015 and first published on the Annual Australian Science Fiction Film Festival website, ed. Admin., 2015.
‘The Red One’ was short-listed for the Cowley Literary Award Competition, 2014 and first published on the Cowley Literary Award website, 2014, then re-published in The Dubbo Photo News Weekender, 2014.
‘The Flower in the Buttonhole’ first appeared on The Human Writers website, ed. Caitlin O’Toole, pub. Human Writers, 2022.
‘Under His Hat’ and ‘The Stars Shine for Bach’ first appeared in Loudmouth: The Australian Music Trust E-zine, ed. Richard Letts, The Australian Music Trust, 2021.
‘Dissolving’ first appeared in La Mama Poetica, ed. Mal Morgan, Melbourne University Press, 1989.
‘A Fairy Tail’(now re-written) first appeared in Island In The Sun, An Anthology of Recent Australian Prose, ed. Damien White, Anna Couani and Tom Thompson, Sea Cruise Books, 1980.
‘Flash in an Amber Windshield’ first appeared in Meanjin, ed. Jim Davidson, 1974.
Frog and harlequin bug. Pic JJ.