CWA Young Crime Writers' Competition National Shortlist and Video .

The Crime Writers' Association has released the names of the 13 regional winners of its short story competition for new people age 18 and under. The young authors will now get to wait until National Crime Writing Week (13 - 19 June) when the list of the success will be revealed.

The last level of the contest is beingjudged by Edwin Thomas, the 2010-11 Chair of the CWA, andcrime writer Martin Edwards.

The shortlisted entrants are:

`A Cordial Encounter` by Charlotte Gordon age 15 of Thurso

`A Cushion Out Of Shoes` by Claudia Hyde age 15 of London

`The Picture` by George Neame age 15 of Bognor Regis (The southern area winner, whichwas judged by me)

`Reasons` by Caroline Angus age 14 of Carlisle

`A Girl I Once Knew` by Beth Tucker age 15 of Newton Abbot

`Reaction` by Laura Aldworth-Beswick age 16 of Manchester

`She`s a Rebel, She`s a Saint` by Laura Waters age 14 of Isle of Man

`Severing Ties` by Jessica Cooper age 17 of Nantwich

`The End` by Lily Scanlan age 17 of Invergordon

`The Watcher` by Emily Lumbard age 11 of Bristol

`Button` by Aileigh MacGregor age 13 of Buckie

`Anarchy` by Connor Sterling age 13 of Darlington

`A Dreamer`s Nightmare` by Rachael Wallis age 17 of Frome

Congratulations to them all for reaching the shortlist, a major achievement in its own right out of hundreds of entries from across the UK.

The contest is sponsored by CRIMEFEST, Britain`s international crime fiction convention, where I will be appearing on Friday 20 May.

One of the parents at the recent Young Crime Writers Competition Awards Ceremony for the southerbn region took this picture of me announcing the Highly Commended and the winner. I had no idea I was being videoed and disposed that it was taken some distance away with an ordinarycamera with a video facility the phone and image quality are remarkably good.

Ewan Murphy was Highly Commended, for his superb entry the School House Murders. His mother shot this video. Congratulations to Ewan from Winchester,for a grand entry and to George Neame, from Bognor Regis,the winner, for his outstanding entry, The Photograph.