OMG: Text speak short story in running for £30,000 prize

[Evil Eye]

An author who has written in text message shorthand could soon be all smiley faces and LOLs after finding himself in the running for the world's richest short story prize.



Will Cohu's story Two Bad Thumbs is pitted against literary heavyweights such as We Need To Talk About Kevin writer Lionel Shriver and former Costa Book Award winner Diana Athill.



They feature on a longlist of 20 titles competing for the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award 2012, which is worth £30,000 to the winner.



Journalist and novelist Cohu - twice shortlisted for the award - has written his story using text messages to create a seedy tale of an affair unravelling.



The judging panel for the awards includes Lord Bragg, Hanif Kureishi and the actor Ian Hart.



Five other shortlisted writers each receive £1,000 through the award, which is administered by literary charity Booktrust.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...k-short-story-in-running-for-30000-prize.html





Ahh! Newspeak!



You may now commence ranting.