The Perfect Journey: Winners of The Guardian/Piccadilly teenage writing competition

The Perfect Journey is the second short story anthology by winners of The Guardian/Piccadilly competition for teenage writers. The theme has been widely interpreted by the ten young authors whose journeys are as diverse as a suicide jump, deterioration and recovery from eating disorder, and an old man's dying reflections. The writers demonstrate accomplished control of the short story form; plots are tightly focused, some building then undermining expectation and others working towards reassuring closure. What is evident in all of the contributions is a sense of rhythm: the ear for a good story well told, which is best developed through rich and varied reading experiences.