Keza O'Neill has been named the winner of the 2025 Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for her story, ‘The Man on the Train’. The award is given to the best unpublished short stories in English by writers aged 18 or over who have a connection to Wales.
O'Neill, originally from Aberystwyth and now living in Bristol, described the recognition as an honour. “It’s a privilege to be recognised among such a talented shortlist and alongside the amazing writers who’ve won this award before. This moment feels surreal, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share my story with readers.
“My story, ‘The Man on the Train’, comes from a place close to my heart. It’s inspired by a train journey I’ve taken countless times, with the conductor’s familiar chant of place names stirring up excitement, longing or sometimes a heavy heart. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of home, what it means, how we carry it with us, reach for it or even turn away from it in moments of joy or pain. The story digs into that urgent pull to return home at the end of life, where time, space, memory and the present all collide.
“To have my work recognised by Cynan Jones, whose stories capture the raw, beautiful truth of human experience, means the world to me. Welsh writing has such a gorgeous mix of poetry, grit and soul, with a rich history and so many vibrant voices today. I’m truly honoured to be even a small part of that tradition.”
The winning entry tells of an unnamed man travelling back toward Aberystwyth after two decades away. As he moves through different stations on his journey home, he reflects on memories from his childhood.
Cynan Jones served as guest judge for this year’s competition. He commented: “‘The Man on the Train’ feels written right on the edge of instinct, and a writer can talk themselves out of that, particularly when they are trying something unconventional. A kind of doubt can rush in, then you find yourself taming the more dangerous choices you've made. But if you can get the story off the desk before that demon on your shoulder starts muttering in your ear, then it arrives with the reader with all that edge and risk too. And that can make it a rare thing. Ultimately, this story stayed in the mind more viscerally than the others. And that's why it won.”
Established in 1991, there have been twelve editions of this contest so far. In 2021 Swansea University’s Cultural Institute relaunched the competition on behalf of The Rhys Davies Trust together with Parthian Books.
As part of her prize O'Neill will receive £1,000 and see her work published in October as part of Parthian's Rhys Davies Short Story Award Anthology 2025 alongside other finalists’ stories.