Ink of Ages Update #7 📯 Meet the 2025 winners

Welcome to the 7th issue of the Ink of Ages Update, a monthly email by me, Joanne Taylor, with a focus on writing, reading, and well ... more writing. Thanks for being here! If this email was forwarded to you, you can sign up here.

25 February 2025

Hello!

The winners are here! We had so many amazing entries to choose from this year, including imaginative history-myth combinations and moving stories inspired by grandparents. It was incredible to read stories from all over the world, and the youth category – just wow!

Every shortlisted story was read by multiple specialist judges, 6 for the adult category and 4 for the youth category (I got to re-read them all, yay!). Scores were awarded for literary merit, originality and creativity, historical interest, and impact and enjoyment. Bonus points were awarded each time a judge placed a story in their personal top five. The whole shortlist impressed the judges, and decisions were tough! Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to everyone who entered a story. We enjoyed reading every single one.

The 2024/25 Prize winners

You can read each of the winning short stories in full on the Ink of Ages website.

"These are wonderfully vivid time capsules and mythological dreamscapes, transporting readers to unexpected places in just a few well-crafted pages."

—Stefan Vranka, Judge & Oxford University Press Editor

Adult category

First Prize: “Zannanza” by Anna McHugh

Well researched, historically imaginative, assured storytelling. Inspired by a Hittite prince who was requested as a husband by a widowed Egyptian queen anxious not to be forced into a marriage.

Second Prize: “Møya” by Senthan Thomas Sivasangar

Evocative, involving, gripping. Inspired by an old Norwegian myth spread via folk ballads in the 18th and 19th centuries across the Norwegian county of Telemark.

Third Prize: “Shining Light” by Richard Garcka

Lovely characterization, witty dialogue, clever reveal. Inspired by inspired by the construction of The Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Highly Commended:

“Federico” by João Costa

Tragic, original, atmospheric. Inspired by the Spanish Civil War.

“The Deluge” by Abaan Zaidi

Humorous, well crafted, engaging. Inspired by The Epic of Gilgamesh (Tablet XI).

Youth category

First Prize: “To Forget” by Sophia Campbell

Powerful, moving, memorable. Inspired by Native American residential schools.

Second Prize: “The Defeat of the Emperor” by Cassandra Hughes

Well researched, effective dialogue, entertaining. Inspired by researching Napoleon for school.

Third Prize: “Maidens, Men and Raging Seas” by Prisha Roy Mahapatra

Strong protagonist, imaginative reinterpretation. Inspired by selkies / seal brides from Celtic and Norse folklore.

Highly Commended:

“Shattered Souls, Eternal Light” by Faaris Jamali

Unique, well structured, uplifting. Inspired by a myth about a lake now called Saif-ul-Malook, in Pakistan.

“The Weaver” by Jenna Davis

Fateful, original, impactful. Inspired by the story of Arachne, the first spider according to Roman mythology.

We hope you enjoy the winning stories! You can also read the fantastic opening lines from the shortlist.

Want to get involved?

We’re enormously grateful to our reading team and our judges, who so generously share their time and expertise with us. Do you love historical fiction and mythology-inspired stories as much as we do? Ink of Ages is run by a small (but enthusiastic!) team of volunteers committed to celebrating genres we love and supporting writers wherever they are in the world.

Would you be interested in joining our volunteer reading team for the next round of submissions later in the year? If you're looking to add skills and experience to your CV there might be other ways you could help out. Just hit reply!

Happy reading!

Joanne

Ink of Ages Fiction Prize is run by World History Encyclopedia and generously sponsored by Oxford University Press.