Roshi’s story entitled 'The Fluorescent Jacket' is about a migrant worker from Sri Lanka, who is wrongly accused of a murder, and imprisoned.  It is a gritty story, part of a composite novel, Homesick, about a community of Sri Lankan immigrants in London.

The story is one of 20 selected by the judges, who include Lord Melvyn Bragg, Andrew Holgate (Literary Editor of the Sunday Times) and internationally renowned novelist A S Byatt, for this year’s competition.

The Short Story Award aims to honour the finest writers of short stories in the UK and Ireland and is open to authors with a previous record of publication in creative writing.

The winning author will be announced at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival in April 2011 and receive £30,000. Five runners-up will receive £500. Last year’s winner was New Zealand’s CK Stead, with his story ‘Last Season’s Man’.

Roshi (pictured below), who is a student of Dr Stevie Davies, Senior Lecturer and Director of Creative Writing at Swansea University, said: “'Being longlisted for the prestigious Sunday Times Short Story Award means a huge amount to me as a writer.  It is a testament to the unique strengths of the PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea, that many of us have gone on to be published, and also to have the recognition that being longlisted for prizes gives us.  It is very exciting - I'm thrilled to be mentioned on the same list as many writers who I deeply admire.” 

For further information regarding the Sunday Times Short story Award visit

http://www.booktrust.org.uk/Prizes-and-awards/Sunday-Times-EFG-Private-Bank-Award

For further information on Swansea University’s Department of English visit http://www.swansea.ac.uk/english/

This news item has been generated by Katy Drane, Swansea University Press Office, Tel: 01792 295050, email: k.drane@swansea.ac.uk