The Bloodhound by Tom McMillan
CBC Books | | Posted: April 14, 2021 1:30 PM | Last Updated: April 14, 2021
2021 CBC Short Story Prize longlist
Tom McMillan has made the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize longlist for The Bloodhound.
The winner of the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and have the opportunity to attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.
The shortlist will be announced on April 22 and the winner will be announced on April 29.
About Tom McMillan
Tom McMillan's work has been published in the Toronto Star, Grain, Dalhousie Review, Alberta Views, Pithead Chapel, Smokelong Quarterly and other kind places. He is a past winner of the Toronto Star Short Story Contest and the Alberta Magazine Award for fiction and was previously shortlisted for the CBC Short Story Prize.
Entry in five-ish words
"Lost sisters driving around Edmonton."
The story's source of inspiration
"I read a fascinating article about the history of shopping malls, which started me on a winding path that led to this story."
First lines
Before the car comes to a stop, Maxi is reaching for the door handle. She leaps into the frayed passenger seat. I press on the gas and we peel away from Nick and Sandra's like bank robbers fleeing the scene.
I wonder what Jordan is doing right now, then make myself wonder anything else.
A hungry Maxi is a cranky Maxi, so I brought Snickers, Swedish Fish, even a Red Bull and smokes — all the deeply unhealthy things that her foster parents would never buy in a billion years.
This morning, the city felt like a sauna. Now the sky is black and pelting rain. We have hours to fill and every idea I had involved going outside, so I pass over a grocery bag to buy time to think. A hungry Maxi is a cranky Maxi, so I brought Snickers, Swedish Fish, even a Red Bull and smokes — all the deeply unhealthy things that her foster parents would never buy in a billion years.
About the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize
The winner of the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.
The 2021 CBC Poetry Prize is open for submissions until May 31, 2021. The 2022 CBC Short Story Prize will open in September and the 2022 CBC Nonfiction Prize will open in January 2022.