An end of troubles (March 2025) won the History Through Fiction 2024 Short Story Competition and features as the title story in their first printed anthology. Set in the village where I grew up, it sees a young Mary Queen of Scots contemplate the cares and sorrows that lie ahead of her as she discovers the landscape and legends of Castle Campbell (Castle Gloume or Gloom). I talk about the story and my writing on the History Through Fiction podcast, which came out on 3rd March 2025 and can also be viewed on their YouTube channel, and at an event for the Dollar History Society on 14 October 2025.
Warp and weft (February 2023) was shortlisted in the Edinburgh Short Story Award 2023 and appears in their anthology Solemates. The first version of this story was written in early 2021 because I wanted to write about Edinburgh and, it turned out, the compelling, confusing urban topography of the old town. The story can now be read on my writing page. That said, the anthology is well worth a read!
Sunweys and widdershins (October 2021) found a home with Soor Ploom Press in March 2023 and appeared in their second anthology Short and Sweet. This story evolved from two words that I love the sound of – whirligig and widdershins. It can now be read on my writing page.
A construction of loss (January 2022) was highly commended by Glittery Literary and appeared in their Anthology FOUR and can now be read on my writing page. This story was inspired by places near where I live and went through a year of edits and rejections before finding a home. (Content warning: bereavement)
A cloth of water (June 2021) was published online by Fudoki Magazine in October 2021. An installation at Jupiter Artland near Edinburgh provided the inspiration for the story’s setting. This piece was also shortlisted in Retreat West’s Flash Mentoring contest in 2023. It’s no longer available online so I’m in the process of resubmitting it as a reprint.
A green cloak (February 2021) was highly commended in the Glittery Literary Autumn 2021 competition and appeared in their Anthology THREE and can also be read on my writing page. I have visited the Inishowen Peninsula many times and have always been fascinated by Trawbreaga Bay.
The Brians (June 2021) won second place in the Cranked Anvil August 2021 flash competition. It can be read online and in their first print anthology. This was my first ever flash fiction, prompted by a dream of my son’s, and it was also longlisted in the Retreat West ‘uncanny’ flash competition in August 2021. In April 2023 the story was featured in the Feasts & Fables newsletter. (Content warning: uncanny horror with mother and child.)
Someone, No-one (December 2020) was highly commended in the Glittery Literary April 2021 competition and appeared in their Anthology ONE and can be read on my writing page. I wrote this after reading Angela Carter’s ‘The bloody chamber’ and wanted to have a go myself at retelling a classic tale.
Advent (December 2020) is included in the Swoop Books inaugural anthology Ordinary People and is also shared here on my writing page. This was my first short story in over 15 years and, as such, marks an early stage in the development of my writing craft. It was written just before Christmas 2020 after I received a little advent calendar from a friend in Germany.
Copyright of all my works belongs to me. They may not be reproduced in part or in full in any format without my written permission. Please get in touch using the contact page if you’d like to discuss my work.
Hilary Coyne 