Orcadian writer is ‘lottery’ winner

An Orcadian has won a national short story writing competition run by The Herald newspaper.

James Miller’s The Lottery Winner was one of three winning stories.

The competition was run by The Herald and The Mighty Pens publishing firm, which is backed by leading writers, including the actor and script writer Alex Norton.

Judges said: “We like this [short story] very much, well written and constructed and a very clear inter-weaving”.

James and his wife Christine live at 2 Stewart’s Buildings in Kirkwall but they are currently building a new home in Berstane Road. They previously lived in Finstown and spend quite a bit of their time in Glasgow, where they have three young grandchildren, including two four-month-old identical boys.

James, who has MS, is a former editor of The Orcadian and is a director of the newspaper’s owner, Orkney Media Group. He currently manages the firm’s local interest book publishing output.

“As a journalist I have written hard news stories all my life but I have always fancied having a bash at fiction,” he said.

“I do not know where The Lottery Winner came from but I’m chuffed to bits at winning this competition and it will hopefully encourage me to write down a few other ideas that have been floating around in this empty head of mine!”

James, 63, is now looking forward to going on a Mighty Pens coaching course, which is part of the competition prize.