Before the Forest is an Aurealis Awards Finalist!

I'm thrilled to see my short story 'Before the Forest' on the Aurealis Awards shortlist for Best Fantasy Short Story!

A dark fantasy re-imagining of the Grimms' rather disturbing fairy tale 'The Juniper Tree', it revisits the world of After the Forest, exploring the origins of the infamous gingerbread witch from 'Hansel & Gretel' during the equally infamous Siege of Briesach in 1638.

Here's the full shortlist - congratulations everyone!

“The Beautiful Thing You Once Were”, J Ashley-Smith (Bourbon Penn 33)

“Lacebound”, Eliza Baker (Aurealis #170, Chimaera Publications)

“Remembering the Hungry Ghosts”, Emmi Khor (Best Australian Yarn 2024, The West Australian Newspaper)

"Bonnets at Dawn", Tansy Rayner Roberts (self-published)

“Market of Loss”, Matt Tighe (Aurealis #176, Chimaera Publications)

“Before the Forest”, Kell Woods (Reactor Magazine)

You can read the complete awards shortlist at the Aurealis website.

'Before the Forest' is available wherever you buy your ebooks, and also at Reactor.com.