Lee Battersby (center) with judges K.D. Wentworth and Tim Powers.

           Lee Battersby is a thirty-one-year-old former stand-up comedian, cinema usher, and—according to him—other sundry useless occupations and currently works for the Australian government.

           After a break of many years following an abortive attempt at a writing career while at university, he has been writing seriously again for just over two years.  His third place in the second quarter of the writers’ competition and subsequent publication of his first professional sale has helped fulfill a lifelong dream to become a published writer.  This dream he soon compounded with another half-dozen sales to various magazines after finding out he had won.

           To top this, December heralded the arrival of his first child, a daughter named Erin who Lee describes as “a perfect bundle of wonder.”  Tragically, Sharon, his wife of four and a half years, died of complications four days after Erin’s birth. She was only thirty-two years old.  She had helped Lee edit his winning story before he submitted it the contest, and he lovingly dedicated its publication to her memory.