SHORT STORIES ARE PIECES OF ART

MOTIVATED BY OTHERS, OF OTHERS, FOR OTHERS!

Asix-word story regarding a pair of baby shoes is considered an extreme example of creativity. Categorized under the sub-genre, ‘Fash Fiction’ is Ernest Hemingway’s story written in merely six words: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” [Authorship; controversial, though], Hemingway considered this as his finest story. We hear on the grapevine— that it was in North Africa, during an informal discussion among writers, held at a Pub, a bigwig said that they should write the best and shortest story. They all had stories. Hemingway came up with his: “For sale: baby shoes, never warn.” just six words. It’s just miraculous what you can do with the six words: a book, a movie, a short story, a poem—anything and everything one wants to do. The entire story is genuinely minor in tone. Volumes have been written by critiques on the Six word story!

Literary Advisory Board of the Arts Council of Sri Lanka, recognizes the importance of the encouragement of the work by our writers both nationally and internationally to ensure Sri Lanka is recognized for its writers and its quality writing. My first short story collection titled, “Under the Lovi Tree” was published last year. One of the most prestigious recognitions that an author can get is receiving a literary award for all the hard work in publishing a book. It has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and publishers. In the literature world there are several awards that recognise the best books. The world’s most important literary award is The Booker Prize for Fiction which promotes the finest in literary fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year.

The short story received comparatively little critical awareness as a genre until the middle of the 20th century. Most other academic discussions, however, were established in one way or another on Allan Poe’s idea that stories must have a solid unified effect

A writer friend of mine described something he did whenever he moved to his table.—there is some object on his desk that he touches before he touches the computer keyboard. We talked about little rituals that some of us go through before we begin to write. Writers devise ways to approach mysterious process. I do not engage in such superstitions; for they create conflict. Only a conflict free mind can do creative things. They say, “Creativity flourishes in a conflict free mind.” Divisions, race, religion, caste, creed, create conflict; hampers free thinking.

Fictional prose which is brief is shorter than a novel and deals with only a few characters; it is usually concerned with a solitary effect expressed in only one or a few important episodes. It omits a complex plot; character is unveiled in action and staged encounter but is rarely fully developed. Its relatively limited in scope, a short story is often evaluated by its capacity to offer a satisfying treatment of its characters and theme. Short story was not generally regarded as a distinct literary form until the early 19th century. But it is not an exclusively modern genre; the fact is that short fiction is almost as old as language itself. Throughout history people has enjoyed a variety of types of brief narratives; anecdotes and banter. None of these creates a short story as has been defined, yet they do make up a great part of the backdrop from which the modern short fiction emerged.

The short story received

comparatively little critical awareness as a genre until the middle of the 20th century. Most other academic discussions, however, were established in one way or another on Allan Poe’s idea that stories must have a solid unified effect.

The Prize, known as the Booker Prize for Fiction [1969–2001], was renamed the Man Booker Prize in 2002; presently it is called just, Booker Prize, which is a prize awarded for the best novel written in English and published exclusively in the United Kingdom or Ireland. When the prize was initially opened, it accepted novels written by Commonwealth citizens, Irish, and some South African citizens as well. A panel of seven persons that included authors, literary agents, librarians, and publishers, is appointed by the Booker Prize Foundation for judging the entries.

Literary critics in all parts of the globe have acknowledged that it is a mark of respect for writers to be named to be nominated for the ‘long-list’, or inclusion in the shortlist . Since Booker, Mcconnell Ltd began sponsoring the event in 1969, the prize was established as the Booker Prize for Fiction. The cash award with the Booker Prize was originally £21,000, and was later raised to £50,000 in 2002 under the Man Group, making it the richest literary prizes in the world.

In 1992, the jury split the prize between Sri Lankan renowned writer Michael Ondaatje for his novel, The

English Patient and Barry Unsworth, prompting the foundation to draw up a rule making it mandatory for the jury to declare just a single book. In 1997, the decision to award Indian writer Arundhati Roy’s ‘The God of Small Things’ proved controversial. Chairman of the previous year’s Booker judge panel, Carmen Callils called it an “execrable” book and that it should not even have been on the shortlist.

Literary Advisory Board of the Arts Council of Sri Lanka, recognizes the importance of the encouragement of the work by our writers both nationally and internationally to ensure Sri Lanka is recognized for its writers and its quality writing