Rhodes, Danny

The BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University (NSSA) is an award that has enriched both the careers of writers and the wider literary landscape since its launch sixteen years ago.One of the most prestigious prizes for a single short story, the winning author receives GBP15,000.

When JB is served with an ASBO and sent to paint beach huts in Kent, it looks as if he has a chance to turn his life around. But then he encounters Moey and his gang. Only his attraction to Sal gives him a reason to keep going. But a storm is coming that threatens to shatter his hopes and destroy the relationship that could redeem him.

Tired of dead-end jobs, Scottie comes to a decision that will change his life forever - he will join the army. It will bring him more money than he's ever known, and lead him to discover things about himself he'd never have believed. But it will also ultimately lead him to a confrontation with an awful, undeniable truth.