‘It’s important to write about what scares you’: Woman who lives with degenerative disease shortlisted for writing prize 

A 46-year-old woman who lives with a degenerative disorder was shortlisted for a writing prize after she wrote about how grief “impacts the ordinary stuff of life.”

Shelly Hastings, of Brockley Rise, Honor Oak Park, works for dementia charity Resonate Art.

Her short story, Will I Be Well, about a woman trying to live with a genetic disorder, was shortlisted for the Primadonna Prize.

She said: “After my mum died the brick wall between me and my own mortality crumbled. 

“I made a pact to commit more time to my writing.

“I think if you can, it’s important to write about what scares you, and I was interested in finding a form that contained the sense of foreboding that comes from living with an undefined diagnosis. 

“I also wanted to explore how this impacts the ordinary stuff of life – the grief, absurdity and joy of what it is to be a mother and a middle-aged woman.”

The Primadonna Prize invited entrants to submit 500 words of new writing on the theme of renewal. Those shortlisted in the first round were invited to submit entries of 3,000-5,000 words.

The Primadonna Prize was founded in 2019 with the aim of creating a competition that gave prominence to female writers and authors from marginalised communities.

On Friday it was announced that Natalie Gregory won the 2023 prize, securing a book contract with HQ, an advance of £7,000 for World English rights and the chance to work with publisher Alice Lutyens, who will develop the winning submission into a publishable book.

Pictured top: Shelly Hastings (Picture: Primadonna Festival, Shelly Hastings)