Our Judges

Afam Akeh - 2015 (Poetry)

Afam Akeh, poet and journalist, is the author of two poetry collections, Letter Home and Biafran Nights (2013) and Stolen Moments (1988). His writings in journalism, poetry and the short story have won and been listed for national and international awards. Director at the Centre for African Poetry, he was also Founding Editor of African Writing Online. He has performed, broadcast and workshopped his poetry at the BBC, the University of Oxford, various other UK schools, and at conferences in the UK and elsewhere, also serving as judge in literary competitions since the 1990s. In 2009, he was one of the workshop leaders for a funded training and book project organised by Oxford Brookes University for refugees and asylum seekers in the Oxford area. See How I Land, an anthology of new writings was published from that project. Other anthologies with his work include Poems for a Liminal Age (2015). Camouflage: Best of Contemporary Writing from Nigeria (2006), The Fate of Vultures and Other Poems (1989) and Voices from the Fringe (Association of Nigerian Authors, 1988).

Alex Keegan - 2015 (Short Stories)

Alex Keegan is a full-time writer and teacher of creative writing. He gave up the day job in 1992 and struck a three-book deal a year later. Published 5 crime novels 1994-1997 then switched to writing serious short fiction. He runs an internet writing school known as Boot Camp, which is direct and honest and expects hard work. While in Boot Camp, Boot Campers have won 131 First Prizes, many more after they have left. Boot Campers and ex-Boot Campers have published or are about to publish 20 Novels and 7 short-story collections. Six Boot Campers have become editors of journals. Two have earned MA with Distinction in Creative Writing. He tells the truth about writers and writing. To win the Sentinel Annual Short Story Competition 2015 and 2016 judged by Keegan, your  work needs to be exceptionally good.

Past Judges

Roger Elkin 2010 - 2014 (Poetry)

David Caddy 2012 - 2014 (Short Stories)