Stephen Wade Irish Writer

Writing Background

Born on the 27th July 1965, Steve Wade's first submitted short story garnered first prize in the Telecho/Rank Xerox Short Story Competition in 1990. Chosen by the writer and competition judge Kate Cruise O'Brien, the story was called 'Mad Mary'. Sidetracked by the demands of university studies, and then by the vagaries and demands of earning a living, it wasn’t until relatively recently that he once more immersed himself in writing. It was whilst living and working as an English language teacher in Sardinia, a position that gave him the necessary time and solitude, that he began in earnest a commitment to writing short stories and novels.

Photo of Stephen Wade

At the Launch of Boyne Berries

Stephen Wade or Steve Wade

Steve reading his short story at the launch of Boyne Berries 10 in Trim, Co. Meath, 29 September 2011

Competitions/Publications News

Short story on shortlist in Limnisa's 2012 short story competition.
Fantasy novel longlisted among ten in the The Red Telephone YA Novel Competition
Short story accepted by Tail to TaleBooks for their forthcoming charity book, Writers for animals
Short story among the top 4 to 18 in The Atlantis Short Story Competition, 2012.
Steve's YA full-length novel has been awarded Second Place in the New Voice Contest run by US publisher Sleepytown Press.
Chosen as shortlisted winner in the Leonard A. Koval Memorial Prize Competition. Story to be published in 'Gem Street' by Labello Press in June 2012.
Made it to the shortlist in the Doire Press Chapbook competition.
Flash Fiction piece published in Irish Times, January 17th, 2012 On Call in Calahonda.
First prize in Christmas Chillers http://write-link-creative-writing-contests.com/news/christmaschillersresults/

New Books

New Novel 'On Hikers' Hill'

Steve's novel 'On Hikers' Hill' was awarded First Prize in the UK abook2read Manuscript competition. Available as an e-book from ABook2Read.com

(Cover painted by Steve in oils)

Christmas in the Forest Like a Lion

In September 2010 Steve had three children's

easy reader books (6-9 years) accepted for publication by Little Acorn Press. Available from the publisher online at http://www.littleacornpress.com or from Steve.

Competitions/Publications News

A runner-up winner with short story in the Author Essentials winter-themed competition. Anthology to be published by Indepenpress & published May 2012
April 2012: Short story, 'The Last Bus', in collaboration with podcasts.ie and Wordlegs reaches No. 1 for Irish writers podcasts. The same recording has reached No. 4 in iTunes Top 200 for Irish podcasts.
Short story accepted by Zenfri Publishing for publication in their first issue of Warpaint. To be released late May or early April 2012.
Shortlisted in the Fish International Short Story competition. 1 of 145 shortlisted from 1,900 entries
Short story accepted by Wordlegs. To be published in the Spring 2012 issue.
An essay chosen to be included in The Santa Claus Project. Anthology to be published Autumn of 2012.
Short story chosen as a winner in the Head Hunter Short Story Competition. Story to be published in 'Write Into Print' anthology
Short story shortlisted among five in the Fiction section of the Wasafari New Writing Prize 2011
Short story accepted for inclusion in The Grey Sparrow Journal (U.S.)
Flash fiction piece shortlisted in Author Essentials Competition
Shortlisted in the Over the Edge 2011 Short story competition
Prose piece to be included in Boyne Berries 10 in September
Short story in top ten in Biscuit International Short Story Competition, 2011. The story will be included in the winners' anthology, September 2011
Short story in top five in shortlist from a large entry to the Bryan MacMahon Short Story Competition run in conjunction with Listowel Writers' Week, May '11
Short story on Longlist in BBC Radio Drama, Apr '11
Short story accepted by online magazine, Wordlegs, to be published in early Feb. 2011
Short story selected for publications in Words Undone 2011 Bumper Magazine, January 2011

Excerpt from Steve's Writing (On Hikers' Hill)

Five years old I was when my granny told me Bluebottles were ‘dirty things’.

So I squished them between the net-curtain and the front window. The white mush expelled by the tiny carcases

gave off a nasty pungency that tickled the inside of my nostrils. This stink I could avoid by alternatively

removing the bluebottles’ wings and sticking pins into the bug bodies.

Comments on Steve's Writing

"I thought the words put in were great like when you said the mother animals where sensible like other mothers, it made me laugh and think of my mother. Great story, Daniel" (Daniel Tetis, young reader)

"It is quite a gift to make someone, who has read so much, actively want to read more, which your stories certainly did." (Clio Gray, novelist and HISSAC Judge Chair)

Brian Lister of Biscuit Publishing described Steve as "a writer of excellence" after he finished second in The Biscuit International Short Story Prize.