How to Build a Bomb by Lindsay Foran

Lindsay Foran has made the 2023 CBC Short Story Prize longlistfor How to Build a Bomb.

• 27 writers make the 2022 CBC Short Story Prize longlist

The winner of the 2023 CBC Short Story Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and win a two-week writing residency at Artscape Gibraltar Point. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.

The shortlist will be announced on April 12 and the winner will be announced on April 18.

If you're interested in the CBC Literary Prizes, the 2023 CBC Poetry Prize is open for submissions until May 31.

• The 2023 CBC Poetry Prize is now open to Canadian poets

About Lindsay Foran

Lindsay Foran has her MA in English from the University of Ottawa and now lectures part-time in the same department. She graduated with a letter of distinction from the Humber School for Writers and has completed a certificate in creative writing from Simon Fraser University. Her short stories and poetry have been published in numerous journals, including carte blanche and Bywords. She was also a finalist for the 3Macs Short Fiction Prize(part of the Quebec Writers Federation Awards). When not writing, she's a busy mother to three small children and one large dog. She is currently finishing edits on a novel.

Entry in five-ish words

"Fragmented memories of a mother."

The story's source of inspiration

"Years ago, I'd sit at my desk, trying to write, but I'd often find myself distracted by packages my neighbours were receiving. Every day, more and more packages arrived. In their case, it was innocent enough: they were remodeling their home. However, I started to wonder, what if something nefarious was happening? At the same time, I was thinking about my role as a mother, and what happens to a woman's identity after she has children. How do we maintain that necessary connection with ourselves? All these thoughts led me to my protagonist, Meredith."

First lines

Step One:

Find something worth blowing up

Alexander has his father's eyes, deeply green with flecks of gold. If Meredith focuses on the eyes, not his mouth moving, certainly not his words as he says: "I asked her to marry me," just his eyes, then Meredith can trick herself into thinking she's with her husband, Harry, once again.

About the 2023 CBC Short Story Prize

The winner of the 2023 CBC Short Story Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and attend a two-week writing residency at Artscape Gibraltar Point. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.

The 2023 CBC Poetry Prize is currently open until May 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 2024 CBC Short Story Prize will open in September and the 2024 CBC Nonfiction Prize will open in January 2024.