In Competition No. 2769 you were invited to supply the first paragraph/s of the imaginary sequel to a well-known novel.
The literary sequel is thriving, fuelled by readers’ hunger to know more. In recent times, such distinguished names as P.D. James (Jane Austen), Andrew Motion (R.L. Stevenson), Sebastian Faulks (Ian Fleming) and Anthony Horowitz (Conan Doyle) have taken a literary baton and run with it.
So it was unsurprising that the challenge pulled in the punters. In general the standard was high, though some entries read more like the synopsis of a sequel than its opening. Honourable mentions go to John Mounsey, Sylvia Smith, Alan Millard and Josh Ekroy. I also liked Katie Mallett’s Jack Merridew plausibly reincarnated as a Manhattan Master of the Universe and Barry Baldwin’s unlucky Jim Dixon. The winners earn £25 each. George Simmers takes £30.
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