Biscuit 'Combo' Prize 2012

Anita John lives in Penicuik near Edinburgh. She writes poetry and short fiction and is Convenor of the Pentlands Writers' Group and a creative writing tutor for Edinburgh University's Lifelong Learning Department. More of her work can be found on the Group's website.

Anita has opted for the publication prize. A collection of her prose and poetry will be published - by Biscuit of course - early in 2013. Anita has already received the £500 cash that goes with the prize. Her winning Combo will of course feature in the forthcoming Biscuit Combo Top Ten Winners' anthology to be published later this year.

Sian Hughes lives in London. She has a background in journalism and publishing. Her short stories are published in literary magazines.

In 2008 her story The Beach Hut won the Biscuit International Short Story Competition, and a collection, under the same title, was published a year later. Sian Hughes receives £250;

Iain Pattison is a full-time author, creative writing tutor and competition judge. His short stories have been widely published in the UK and the United States and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. His book Cracking The Short Story Market (Writers Bureau Books) is a best seller. He receives a prize of £100.

Iain Pattison's web site.

The Seven Runners-up are all Highly Commended, and each of the seven runners-up receives £50.

All of the top ten winning Combos will appear in a winners' anthology to be published in the autumn of this year and each writer will receive three copies.

The runners-up are listed below in no order of merit:

Tom Murray's stories have been published in magazines in the USA and Canada, as well as the UK. His latest play, the award winning Sins of the Father, toured in autumn 2011. Tom lives in the Scottish Borders, and is currently Creative Writing Fellow to Tyne & Esk Writers.

His website is www.tommurray.org.

Philip T Brewster lives and works in Yorkshire and with a hectic lifestyle his escape is writing. A keen amateur photographer Philip has also created his own website: www.ptbrewster.com.

Debbie Jay lives in Berkshire with three humans and two black labradors.

She has only recently started sending out work.

This is her first prize.

Tom Bryan, born in Canada in 1950, has been long-resident in Scotland, living now in Kelso. He is a widely published and broadcast poet, fiction and non-fiction writer. His work, both poetry and fiction, has appeared in previous Biscuit publications and anthologies.

Tom was Biscuit's 2010 Short Story winner. His collection of short stories, The Bridge-Keeper's Log Book was published in 2012.

After the unpredictability of a performer's travelling life, Wendy Konradsen settled in a beach hut on the Lincolnshire coast where she taught art. Reflecting upon the lives she encountered, she left the confines of her timetable to pursue her love of storytelling.

Lorna Kent is a professional illustrator living in Brighton. She has written and illustrated six books for children, published by Hamish Hamilton.

Lorna's poetry has appeared in many anthologies and has twice been a prize winner in the Cardiff Poetry Competition.

Bill McGowan lives in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with his Welsh Princess (the marriage certificate doesn't say this!) And writes - 'to keep the brain cells active.' With several short stories published to date he says that "A bit more sunshine is always warming in the winter of one's years."