Steve Brawnius

The others were kind of bemused by it, actually.

They all said, well, they didn't really contribute anything.

We'd all made up our own mind anyway.

And they could barely remember the name of that overseas judge in some instances.

It does no harm.

It's a kind of a nice to have.

And there is a benefit to it, actually, I think, in as much we're an insular people.

We live on an island.

We're a long way from anywhere.

Antarctica's down the road.

Fat lot of good that does us.

It's good to be open and invite the rest of the world in on something like this in a way which isn't decisive or patronizing.

It's just another voice, someone who might have another point of view from outside this culture.

They're on this panel of four, as opposed to the others who have panels of three, to decide the fiction winner and disperse the $65,000 first prize.

Good money.

I've got a 15 and a 60.

that I'm thinking about.

I'm making very slow progress on 15 and wondering about, in an occasional vague way, about number 16.

And then that will be it.

That will be it.