Welcome to Kingston Libraries

We are moving to a new online catalogue, the Library Service Platform.

As the current catalogue will be closing in the future, please update any bookmarks with the new site details.

The new Library Service Platform has the same functions to search the catalogue, check your account, place reservations and renew loans, together with new features, and is more interactive.

Your personal wish lists in the current site will be transferred across the new platform on the 15th February 2024. The current site will remain available for some time, but please use the new site to add titles to your wish lists.

Please note it is undergoing development.

If you have any comments, please email libraries@kingston.gov.uk

Please be aware that due to staff shortages New Malden Library will be closing at 6pm on Mondays from 26/02/2024. We hope to restore the late night provision as soon as possible and will update further as soon as a date has been confirmed. We apologise for the inconvenience. 

The functionality of the library app is currently impacted due to circumstances outside of our control.  Our suppliers are working on rectifying the situation as soon as possible.  We apologise for any inconvenience caused.  You are able to search the library catalogue and access your library account to renew and reserve items on the library website.  Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.

 

For our current opening times, Please click here. 

 

Kingston upon Thames

 

 

Competition Rules

Competition's Privacy notice

Short Story Competition banner

Welcome to Kingston libraries' annual short story competition.

 

Announcing the winners and shortlist for our Kingston Libraries Short Story Competition 2022!


We are pleased to announce the shortlist and winners of our annual short story competition.
The variety and quality of the stories made choosing the winners and runners up a diffcult task. But a winner must be chosen and for the adult category 'Pegging Out' was selected by our judge Dr Karen Lipsedge for 'its wonderfully
evocative and original take on the theme of what does it mean to live the life you want to live rather than the one you are expected to live'.
In the youth category, our judge Elizabeth Armour selected 'The Twisted Secrets of Rombury Manor' with its 'Vivid, entrancing description which really gripped me and enabled me to imagine the eerie setting.
I love how the ending echoes back to the opening- very powerful'
We'd like to thank all the talented authors who shared their stories with us.

The winning stories are accessible here:

and the full shortlist and runners up will be published in a special anthology, due to be published by Kingston University Press in the spring.

 

Kingston Libraries Short Story Competition 2022 Final Shortlist

Adult Entries:

  • The House with the Magnolia Tree by Margaret Brown
  • The Orange Lady by Jeffrey Nakar (Special Mention)
  • The Woman Waiting For the Plane by Jo Barlow
  • Death's Path by Dagzi
  • Obscure Her by Bradley Lonegran (Special Mention)
  • The Death of Clare by Jeffrey Nakar (Runner up)
  • Sans Everything by Rehanna Neky (Runner up)
  • Cyninges Tun And Its Famous Nightside Market by Bart Sycamore
  • The Bogeyman by Pamela Pickton (Special Mention)
  • Pegging Out by Bonita de Boer (Winner)

Youth Entries:

  • Bus Stop Encounter by Filijay Touray
  • The Black Heath Murder by David Neky
  • Next by Sarah Car (Special Mention)
  • The Wildflower Sea by Matilda Suter
  • Creative Writing by Jasper Johnson
  • Edward Thaun by Hermione Wong
  • Pitorgo Adventures With Reshi by Joseph Johns (Special Mention)
  • The Twisted Secrets of Rombury Manor by Evanna John (Winner)
  • The Origin of Gravity by Nethuni Ranadeera (Runner up)
  • The Rapids of Freedom by Teddy Molden
  • SCARS by Lucy Molden (Runner up)

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About the Competition:

 

The short story competition started in 2020 as a way of the library being able to engage with our community when our doors had to close due to the global pandemic. Following on from its success, Kingston Libraries decided it should become an annual competition. We are hoping it goes from strength to strength and are looking forward to reading your entries and wish you all the best of luck.

 

Kingston Libraries short story Competition Rules:

 

  • The competition is open to anyone with a Kingston Library card, including anyone with a temporary online membership.
  • A person may submit up to two entries.
  • The stories can be of any length up to a maximum of 3,000 words and must be written in the English language. Judges may choose to disqualify any entry not complying with these restrictions. 
  • Copyright of all submissions remains with the author, but Kingston Libraries reserves the right to publish all entries on their website, and to share entries with Kingston University Press who may publish any entry. Kingston Libraries also reserve the right to use any entry for publicity purposes in subsequent years.
  • All proceeds from the sale of the publication of stories will go back to the library service.
  • The winner of the competition will be announced by the end of January 2023 and will be chosen by an impartial judge invited by Kingston Libraries. The judge's decision is final.
  • There is no entry fee.
  • People may choose to have their name shown on their published work or may ask to appear anonymous. They must include this information with their submissions
  • The competition is open to all ages. Anyone under the age of 18 entering the competition must have their guardian’s consent and must enter their guardian’s library card number as well as their own.
  • Any entries received after the deadline will not be considered. 
  • All submissions must be completed using the online form, sent as an attachment in an email to hook.library@kingston.gov.uk or by post. Postal entries must be sent to Hook Library Hook Road Chessington KT9 1EJ any entry received by post three working days after the closing date will still be considered. 
  • In the accompanying email (or accompanying letter if entering by post) each submission should state the participants library card number, age, name and also the name that they would like submissions to be published under.
  • Library staff may enter the competition as ithe competition is judged anonymosly but any library staff directly involved in the judging or administrative side of the competition,i.e direct access to the entries may not enter.
  • Judges reserve the right to not consider any entry that is deemed offensive or inappropriate.

Short Story Comp Book cover 2020.png

SS comp book cover 2021

Are you feeling stuck for inspiration? Are you wondering what to write about? Whilst our competition doesn’t have any particular theme, Dr Lipsedge suggests you might like to consider the theme of belonging, what it means to be human and what does it mean to you now as we have emerged from lockdown?

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