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Booktrust has selected its panel of judges for this year's BBC National Short Story Award, with authors Geoff Dyer, Joe Dunthorne and Tessa Hadley to take part.
BBC Radio 4 broadcaster Sue MacGregor will chair the panel, which also comprises Di Speirs, readings editor at BBC Radio.
The shortlist will be announced on Radio 4's "Front Row" at 7.15 p.m. on 9th September, with the stories to be broadcast on the channel every day from 12th-16th September. The announcement of the winner and runner-up will be on "Front Row" on 26th September.
It is the first year the award has moved from its traditional November slot, in order to tie in with the broadcaster’s Books on the BBC initiative. At the time of her appointment as chair, MacGregor said: "The best short stories, the little gems, can have little plot but should have memorable atmosphere, dropping you instantly into someone else’s world. I very much look forward to enjoying what should be a bumper crop this year."
The appointment of the judging panel comes on the same day as the Society of Authors is presenting a petition with over 5,000 signatures against BBC Radio 4’s short story programming cuts to BBC Radio 4 controller Gwyneth Williams. The BBC revealed today it is to modify its cuts from one story a week, to two, instead of the original three.