Odd Voice Out is an independent literary press, publishing YA and crossover stories filled with unique characters thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Our genre-bending books take contemporary social and political themes and explore them through a range of historical, futuristic, surreal and supernatural settings. Our diverse young heroes are never your typical leading guys and girls, but are flawed insecure misfits struggling with everything from racial and sexual identity, body issues, disabilities, mental health and worst of all, being teenagers growing up in worlds gone mad.        

Having finished reading all the entries we received for our inaugural short story competition, we're delighted to unveil our initial shortlist. The stories listed below are now being considered for publication in our first anthology collection and three of them will be chosen to win our cash prizes for first, second and third place. 

We want to thank everyone who submitted their writing to Odd Voice Out. The stories on this list represent the most imaginative and distinctive responses to our prompt. We were seeking unique teen voices and perspectives, and we've been provided with a host of memorable characters.  We will now begin the careful process of rereading our shortlisted entries and deciding which stories are the best quality and fit for our anthology. Then we will be revealing our Top Ten finalists and their writers will work one-on-one with us to perfect their stories for publication.

Huge congrats to all the talented oddballs who've made it to this stage! 

THE SHORTLIST
Anchor by Alice Fierek
And They Continued Swinging by Cindy Xin
Auntie's Back Bedroom Band by Rue Baldry
Being Lavender Blue by Hannah Ray
Breathe by Eddie House
Diagnosis Rising by Samuel Thompson
For Hugo by Tonia Markuo
Heading by Miguel Guerrero Becerra
Imago by Jack Bumby
Love Makes Everyone (into Poets) by Oceania Chee
Noam's Mechanism by Alex Masciotra-Milstein
Oblivisci by A Rose
Piano Wire by Rowan Curtis
Popsicle Oceans and Medusa Peacocks by Ciera Parkhurst
Shoplifting by Frances Copeland
Size of Rice by Sabah Carrim
The Silence Rock by Mary Ball Howkins
The Mystery of Cake and Pesto Pasta by Agathe Chave-Lucas
Voodoo Chicken by Michael Devine