Southport racing driver raising awareness of diabetes

BRITISH GT4 Championship racer, Ben Wallace, from Southport, is raising awareness of diabetes and has donated ₤500 to leading charity Diabetes UK, to support people affected by the condition. The money was partly raised at this year's Ormskirk Motorfest and Ben hopes he can help other people living with diabetes through his support of Diabetes UK. Ben, 19, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just 12 months old, said:- "I think it's important to show that diabetes doesn't have to stop you doing anything you want to in life, it certainly hasn't stopped me pursuing my dreams. I hope that by raising funds for Diabetes UK and awareness of the condition, I can help other people living with diabetes. Thank you also to Engine Carbon Clean North West for kindly letting us use their stand at the Ormskirk Motorfest and helping with our fundraising effort."

Diabetes is a serious condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly. If not managed well, both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating complications. With the right treatment, knowledge and support people living with diabetes can lead a long, full and healthy life. Clare Howarth, Head of the North of England at Diabetes UK said:- "We are incredibly grateful to Ben for all his support and for raising awareness of diabetes. His hard work and determination as a racing driver show that diabetes doesn't have to stop you achieving your dreams. The money Ben has raised will help our work to create a world where diabetes can do no harm."

To please visit Diabetes UK's website to find out more about diabetes and the UK based charity.

Acclaimed Author Tessa Hadley commends 'gathering prestige' of Edge Hill Short Story Prize

THE winner of last year's Edge Hill Short Story Prize, acclaimed Author Tessa Hadley, has commended the award's 'gathering prestige' ahead of this year's ceremony. Tessa, who won the 2018 prize for her collection of short stories entitled Bad Dreams, said she was proud to be counted among the award's recipients, who she described as "some of the best writers we have" in the UK. The Author of Novels, Short Stories and Non Fiction, this year sits on the panel of judges announce the winner of the 2019 prize at a special ceremony, in Waterstones flagship store, in Piccadilly, London, on Friday, 25 October 2019.

The Authors Shortlisted for the 2019 Prize where:- Wendy Erskine, Vicky Grut, Chris Power, David Szalay and Lucy Wood.

Tessa said:- "There are some prizes you might hold back from entering when you have an established writing career; but the Edge Hill isn't 1 of them. It's been won in the past by some of the best writers we have and has a gathering prestige. I'm very proud that it's 1 of the 3 prizes I've won in my career so far. But probably the most important effect of winning is for the writer herself: the solid confirmation that 1 has readers out there who value what you're doing, who care about how you're writing, the choices you're making, your style and your material. It's such a precious boost to confidence; you go back to work with a renewed sense of purpose."

As highlighted by Billy Cowan, Senior Lecturer, in Creative Writing, at the University, the Edge Hill Prize is the only national award for a:- 'Single Authored Collection of Short Stories.' The prize, which is worth ₤10,000 to the winner, puts the form and its writers under the spotlight. Billy said:- "In a world where the more traditional publishers are turning their back on the short story. It is important that the Edge Hill Prize exists to encourage new short story writers and publishers. As online platforms for the short story explode, the Edge Hill Prize also acts as an inspirational goal for the many new short story writers who are finding a home for their work online."

Tessa, Author of novels, short stories and non fiction added:- "There are so many prizes for single stories, but this is quite a different thing. The Prize takes the short story form so seriously, to consider a collection in its wholeness: the Author's range and scope, the whole span of what they're capable of, what their interests are. A collection gives a reader the shape of the Author's mind in the way a single story can't. A prize for a collection seems to put the short form on the same level as prizes for novels."

Joining Tessa on the judging panel was:- Sam Jordison of Galley Beggar Press and Author Elizabeth Baines; they will also choose the winner of the MA Prize which is given to a student studying the MA in Creative Writing.

The Reader's Choice Award was also announced on Friday, with the judging panel consisting of creative writing students from Edge Hill, past and present. Tessa offered sound advice to aspiring writers who look to awards like the Edge Hill Short Story Prize. "The more you read, the richer your idea of what writing can achieve, in all its varieties. In fact, it's even a good idea to imitate. Imitate the writers you love best: you won't actually sound like them, you'll still sound like yourself, but trying it will stretch your capacity, the range of what you can do. And I suppose the other piece of advice is; persevere. Be exacting with yourself. Fail, and start again. This isn't wise, but it's necessary."