More than 100 amateur writers from all over France took part in the "thousand-word short story competition" in Fréjus.
JJ Published on 06/13/2025 at 1:45 p.m., updated on 06/13/2025 at 1:49 p.m.
"If I had known" was the theme of the 2025 edition of the "Thousand Words Short Story Competition" . A subject that inspired 145 amateur writers, from the region but also from all over France. A particularly popular challenge with a record number of participants, this event in the City of Fréjus has acquired its letters of nobility over time, the event celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year. An anniversary celebrated worthily by inviting a prestigious guest, the writer Zoé Brisby, to the presidency, who had an encouraging word for everyone.
"This literary competition has found its audience. It is well-known in all libraries. From the 96 adults and 49 high school and middle school students who sent us their works, we selected 35 finalists. The level was particularly high, and we had a hard time choosing between the brilliant authors," explained Christine Ortuno, director of the Villa-Marie Media Library in Fréjus.
Small collections in JulyEight were chosen by the jury of scholars from the world of culture. And the first prize is well worth the effort, and the winners will be published by the City of Fréjus next July. "A publication in the form of a small collection. And there's also a thousand euros in cash prizes for the top four," the director continued.
"We're asking teachers from local schools to present the Thousand Words Short Story competition to their students, " she said. "Among the 96 adults, 24 attend our writing workshops and attend literary events at the Fréjus media library. The workshops bring together enthusiasts every second Saturday of the month, in two groups of 12. They learn to write, offer advice, and correct each other in a form of mutual support. Laura Iapadre, author of two novels and winner of several awards, leads the sessions and supports the writing projects, providing personalized support for each individual."
Christine Ortuno: "We were surprised by the quality of the young people's news"Christine Ortuno adds: "The short story opens the door to the novel. It's a very demanding format. As a member of the jury, I especially appreciate the discussions, because we realize that we approach things differently. Certain things shock us, move us. We discover gems, we admire talents, stories, twists, ways of writing, new ideas. We manage to be surprised every time. There are young people who are interested, who write very well, who have the courage to bring it out and present it to the public, who have dreams for the future. It's comforting."
"This is our core business. Last year's president, Jean-Baptiste Andréa, won the Prix Goncourt. We are proud to organize such an event, that the finalists were able to meet him and be encouraged. It's wonderful to be able to offer such an opportunity," she confided. "At a time when all we talk about is screens, I'm happy to see that this competition is a success; it gives writing and oral expression their rightful place because the texts are often powerful."
"I imagined a story where Vivian Mayer's neighbor refused to lend her money to develop her photos and missed out on someone amazing. If only he had known... I'm happy to have committed to my daughter and I encourage parents to write with their children, to sit down and share something other than screens."
Florence Ricci, winner of the adult competition, began writing poems as a teenager: "I love reading, art, culture, and I've always been comfortable with writing. I participated in this experience to encourage my daughter, Livia, 13, to sign up and to share the adventure with her, to accompany her in this process. Livia loves theater and she also loves writing. I suggested this competition to her and she was the one who took me along with her."
"We didn't expect to qualify at all, and it was a nice surprise. She was selected, but she wasn't the first to win, so she decided to persevere to win next year," Florence Ricci emphasized. For her short story, Livia chose to use humor. She is very imaginative and portrayed a little boy whose parents divorce and make him choose. He leaves with his mother, while his sister stays with her father, who offers her everything she wants. The mother, who is very eco-friendly, refuses everything to her child to protect the planet. If he had known...!"
"A thousand words: a very difficult and demanding constraint""This thousand-word constraint is very difficult. You need good suspense, a punchline... and in a thousand words, it's a challenge. You have to go back and go back again to remove details, delete things you don't want to remove. But when the story is close to your heart, it unfolds and you convey emotion," added the author of the short story " A Neighbor." I chose to base it on a story that fascinates me, the life of Vivian Mayer, an American woman from the 1930s. She was a nanny for 40 years in New York and Chicago for wealthy families. She loved taking photographs, especially portraits. She was never famous during her lifetime, but was brought to light by a young man who recovered a batch of photos at auction. He thought there was talent in them and he did some research to understand her life, to find her photos. He published them and Vivian Mayer was finally recognized."
First prize for adults: Florence Ricci for "A Neighbor" ; Originality Prize: Laurence Borry for "Prodigious Knowledge" ; Bookseller's Prize: Anne-Marie Leclerc for "Memories of Gustave" ; High School Students' Prize: Naïs Laporte for "Where We Only See the Eyes" ; Middle School Students' Prize: Zoé Salinas for "Fucked Thursday" ; President's Favorite Prize: Lina Zinghini for "A False Good Idea" ; Middle School Students' Bookseller's Prize: Thaïs Moncomble for "The Weight of Time" ; High School Students' Bookseller's Prize: Sixtine Vazel for "Hearts".
Var-Matin
