Cherise Saywell wins national short story award for ‘tender’ tale of a child facing violence
The Edinburgh-based writer takes £15,000 prize for Ditto, a ‘beautifully told’ story about domestic abuse in a small Australian town
TL;DR
- Cherise Saywell won the BBC national short story award for her story 'Ditto'.
- The award prize is £15,000.
- 'Ditto' is described as a tender and taut story about a young boy experiencing domestic violence in an Australian town.
- The story follows Ditto as he uses a public telephone box to call the police.
- Saywell, who grew up in Australia, aimed to explore how children process violence without words.
- The story is published in an anthology and available on BBC Sounds.