THE winners of this year’s Bridport Prize will meet the judges and collect their prize money at Bridport Arts Centre on Sunday.

They will attend the traditional Bridport Prize lunch and awards ceremony after being named as winners, as exclusively revealed in this week’s Bridport News.

Poetry judge Gwyneth Lewis awarded Claudia Daventry from St Andrews, Scotland, the first prize of £5,000 for her poem Alakazam.

Patrick Gale chose Being David by Helen Barton from Worcester, for the £5,000 first prize in the short story category.

Gregory Jackson of London won the Flash Fiction category.

Short story judge author Mr Gale said: “I’m under no illusions that the short story is an easy form simply because of its brevity.

“The few that succeed somehow pack the wallop of a novel into a tiny space.

“I don’t look for twists or surprises particularly, and I’m equally interested in material that is funny, sad or sinister, but I was looking for stories which leave me feeling I’ve had a full meal emotionally, not just a starter.”

Ruth Figgest from Seaford, East Sussex, came second in the short story section and Lizzy Welby of London came third.

Nick MacKinnon from Winchester came second in the main Bridport Prize section and Nikki Zielinski of Ohio, US, came third.

Mr Gale also judged the flash fiction section.

He said: “This year’s flash fiction entries were a revelation to me, perhaps because this is a form I have never knowingly practised.”

Highly commended prizes for poetry were won by Daisy Behagg, Charles Bennett, Alan Buckley, Emma-Jane Hughes, Kim Lasky,Hannah Lowe, Andrew Martin, Amali Rodrigo and Mary Woodward.

Highly commended prizes for short story were won by Darci Bysouth, Peter Caley, Eva Ciabattoni, Ruby Cowling, David Foll, Sophie Green, Sandra Jensen, Martelle McPartland, Mel Murphy and Naomi J Williams.

Highly commended prizes for flash fiction were won by Peter Howe, Sophie Mackintosh and Sarah Taylor.

The judges for the Bridport Prize 2013 – its 40th anniversary year – have been announced as Wendy Cope for poetry, Michèle Roberts for short stories and David Swann for flash fiction.

Entry forms for the Bridport Prize 2013 are available in December by sending a stamp and self-addressed envelope to The Bridport Prize, PO Box 6910, Bridport, DT6 9BQ, or visit bridportprize.org.uk.