Ghost Story Competition 2026 Results

It is time to share the results of the Tenth Crowvus Christmas Ghost Story Competition!

Our judges were very impressed with your stories. A decision had to be reached, though it took the judges a little bit longer than usual to cut down the list! We’re delighted to share our winning, shortlisted, and longlisted writers with you. Thank you to everyone who submitted a story, and congratulations to those who are listed here.

Ghost Osa Prize Winner (appearing in our anthology):

Winner: A Case of Phantoms and Pumpkins by Siddhi Garg

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Adult Winners and Shortlisted Stories (these will appear in our anthology)

1st Place: Signal Failure by Ronald J Greig

2nd Place: The Archivist by Geoffrey Brough

3rd Place: Wee Ferny by Jack Archie Stewart

Shortlist:

Miss Penhaligon’s Chair by Ian C Douglas

Not Speaking by Suzanne Parsons

The Final Journey by Ellen Evers

The Last Days of Copperberry Hall by Jonathan Parr

The Ohio Boy by Charlotte Dowling

The Silent Pool by Jody Cooksley

The Wedding by Felix Sefton

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We’d also like to congratulate the following writers – both Adults and Children – on having their stories longlisted, and only missing out by a whisker:

Checking Out by Ronald J Greig

Rattled by Rebecca Nevermore

The Bench by Matthew Hunt

The Forest Steward by Therese Alban

The Ghosts of Blue Post House by Gemma Underwood

The Ghouls of the Mansion by Oliver Perkins

The Last Train from Platform Six by John Matthews

The Night Shift by Ash Thorne

The Way Home by Jonathan Parr

The Web Knows Your Weight by Jennifer A. Cole

The Wedding Harp by Kevin Crowe

Uncle Tom’s Theory by Sue Barnard