Embedded Files
"The Cold Burns" winner for the "Outstanding Achievement for a Short Story" in the Te Pae Tawhiti Distant Horizon Awards on 22 August 2026
"Outstanding Achievement for a Short Story
The Cold Burns by Anne Wilkins
Published by Clarkesworld Magazine, December 2025
Judges’ notes: We were impressed with the strength of prose, characterisation and passion in all of our finalists, but it was the emotional weight and the groundwork done in foreshadowing its twist that ultimately put The Cold Burns at the top of our list."
https://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2026/08/winners-of-the-inaugural-te-pae-tawhiti-speculative-fiction-awards-announced/
https://tepaetawhitiawards.nz/1487-2/
Review in "My Reading Life" for "A Life Measured in Seconds". Chosen as one of three five-star rated stories.
"It took me longer than expected, but here are my five-star rated stories published in June. Enjoy!
“Up the Line to Death Up the Line to Death” by Carrie Vaughn (5,120 words in Clarkesworld) — All the drones in the world stop working and odd words are found in their code. A profound statement on war in general that hearkens back to the movie War Games.
“A Life Measured in Seconds” by Anne Wilkins (4,160 words in Clarkesworld) — A normal person and one perceived as a god both wish they had the life of the other. Starts with a somewhat absurd premise but makes an amazing story of identity, control, and despotism.
“The Sharing of Some Familiar Song” by Adam-Troy Castro (1,155 word in Lightspeed) — This one is composed of correspondence from an alien civilization telling a myth about communication between very different species. It is an excellent use of story as an attempt to bridge a nearly impossible communications gap."
Howard Reading Leave a comment July 26, 2026 1 Minute
Review for The Last Sunset, in the anthology., Creatures of the Night, Volume 2:
https://happygoathorror.com/2026/06/17/creature-feature-classics-vol-2-creatures-of-the-night-from-snake-bite-books-book-review/
"The Last Sunset by Anne Wilkins
The most interesting one in the book as far as lore goes, I think. It starts as if it’s a romance between a young woman and a much older man and seems sweet, then we realise that this relationship is not as wholesome as it’s first presented to us. Loved the story, and there’s a really great addition to vampire lore here that works so well, and that I’ve never seen before. Vampires as we know and love them but with an added detail that really recontextualises vampiric existence, especially for one of our characters here.
Alrighty, so final thoughts. My favourites were ‘The Last Sunset’ by Anne Wilkins and Kay Hanifen’s ‘Ripe for the Picking.’ Not only were they both very entertaining stories but they stood out from the rest because they were so different."
Review for The Last Sunset, in the anthology., Creatures of the Night, Volume 2:
https://monsterbookclub.com/2026/07/13/embrace-your-death-incarnate/
"Like most anthology editors, Knox saves her best stories for last. Both “The Girl with the Grey Eyes” by Jacqueline Erasin and “The Last Sunset” by Anne Wilkins offer emotional resonance that lingers like a wistful dream. Together, they provide a satisfying final note to Creatures of the Night."
Interviewed by Chris Fulwell, Writer's Room episode 5, One More Short Story podcast
Click below to read my 2026 Writing Battle winning story and interview
My interview for winning the June 2024 Elegant Literature Prize
Click below to read my 2025 Writing Battle winning story and interview
Interview Piece with Kandisha Press for "The Scream" in Pretend You Don't See Her: The Invisible Woman
Presenter at the 2025 Speculative Fiction New Zealand's Summit 14 September.
Short Stories: Crafting & Submitting. https://specfic.nz/summit-2025/
Reviews which include my short story "The Scream" in Pretend You Don't See Her: The Invisible Woman Anthology
Special Double Review of Utopia magazine including my story Gravitational Tug
"Wilkins successfully builds sympathy so that when the protagonist reveals his personal goal, and clandestinely performs his own mission, it feels like a victory for his humanity."
"“Gravitational Tug” by Anne Wilkins is achingly sad without being depressing."
Interview piece with Anomaly (available to patreons only)
12 September 2025
From around 1800 submissions, "Washing Instructions for Delicate Fabric" made the shortlist for the Bristol Short Story Prize, 2025, and is featured in their anthology.
"Picking a favorite tale could be comparable to one parent picking their favorite child. But if forced at gunpoint, to choose one tale that stands out I would have to choose Pulling Your Strings. Not to embark upon unjust biases, I would say this tale stuck with me most for its equal parts humor, absurdity and overall unnerving factors. Bravo Ms. Wilkins indeed."
Dave Gammon, Reviewer, Horrornews.net
26 March 2025
Reviews which include my short story "Pulling Your Strings" in Inanimate Things Vol. 2
Interviewed with London Independent Story Prize (LISP) for finalist placing of "Aroha".
My thank you acceptance speech (since I couldn't be there in person) for third placing in Hammond House International Short Story Festival for my sci-fi story "Needs Must Be Met".
"Intertwined", recommended in Flash Roundup August 2024 by Myna Chang
Interview with Apex Magazine
On their patreon feed: https://www.patreon.com/apexbookcompany
"Three Blind Mice" in Scifi Shorts recommended in Matt Kendrick's substack as one of Ten stories picked by T.L. Tomljanovic
Click below to read my 2023 Writing Battle interview.
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