The Power of Words Festival 'Unlocked'

The Power of Words Festival, set in the beautiful Heritage Town of Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, Ireland, is an annual celebration of Words - written, acted, spoken, and sung - that had its inaugural year in 2019. Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the 2020 festival was postponed. In its place, a joint venture was formed between The Power of Words Festival and Hilliard Press, Tennessee, U.S.A., which resulted in the launch of a Short Story Writing Competition aimed at new and emerging Irish based writers. The intention was to keep writers writing throughout the many Covid-19 lockdowns. Importantly, it also served as a bridge between the 2019 and 2021 'in-person' festivals. The Writing Competition invited writers to submit Short Stories of up to five thousand words, on any theme. Our Competition Judge, author Andrea Carter, selected the top ten stories of the entries received, which are now proudly published within the pages of this Anthology. We believe these stories, emerging as they have during extreme external constraints, prove the creative resilience of the Irish culture. We always rise to come through the other side. -The Power of Words Festival Team & the Hilliard Press Design Team