CASEY MONTEIRO
The Fundacao Oriente Short Story Competition 2023 (FOSSC) saw stories with fresh new themes making it to the award winning list.
Gauravi Keni Khaunte bagged the first prize – the Alban and Maria Aurora Couto Prize – for her story, Threshold, an entry which won the prize for its sensitive portrayal of a woman's coming of age.
Troy Ribeiro won the second prize for his story, Two Orphans, while Tanvi Kamat Bambolkar was awarded the third place for her Konkani story, Rangpeti.
Although the contest has only three prizes, this year, there was a fourth honourable mention prize, a special prize which went to Lee-Sania Claire Estibeiro for Lapianv.
Author and journalist, Alexandre Moniz Barbosa, was the chairperson of the jury comprising poet and professor Brian Mendonça, writer Anwesha Singbal and journalist and writer Suhas Belekar.
ENCOURAGING WRITERS
Stories for the competition were solicited in English, Konkani, Marathi and Portuguese. There were a total of 52 entries for this 7th edition of the contest, of which, 37 were in English, five in Konkani, eight in Marathi and two in Portuguese.
To increase the number of participants, Director of Fundacao Oriente, Paulo Gomes, said they were considering hosting mentoring programs throughout the year and not just at the time the contest is announced.
Alexandre averred that it could be useful associating with some existing book clubs in Goa and tapping in on their expertise to mentor writers.
WINNING ENTRIES – SOMBRE, SERIOUS, SAD
The winners were declared from a short list of 20 stories, the latter which will go into making an anthology of short stories as is usually done with the shortlisted entries received for the competition.
Calling it a coincidence, Alexandre said that the prize-winning stories all had a sad or melancholic ending.
It’s not that a light-hearted read doesn't make for good stories, he clarified. It’s just that these four stories had something about them that will leave the readers' eyes moist with emotions.
The pre-requisite for entries in the FOSSC is that they reflect Goa and its essence through the three Ps – People, Place and Predicament. The winning entries excelled in that. "Most also had fresh new themes," stated Alexandre.
TURN PASSION INTO PERFECTION
Konkani literary giant, Damodar Mauzo, recipient of the prestigious Jnanpith Award 2022, the highest literary award in India, was the chief guest for the awards ceremony.
Having been associated with the FOSSC since its early days, he said that the short story contest is here to stay. He recalled his years of association with the organisers of the contest.
He told the winners the prizes were a recognition of their accomplishment. He said that it was difficult to choose the best from a short list, but being in the shortlist meant all the writers' writings are valued.
He said they have proved they can write. "Now pursue the art of writing and turn passion into perfection," he exhorted the writers.
Calling writers legislators of mankind, he said they have a duty to bring peace in society and in furthering the cause of love and compassion.
He commended Fundacao Oriente Goa for promoting artistic people of Goa by conducting activities in art, literature and culture in Goa.
