Title: Playing Chicken
Author: Sonya Holm
Pocket Book No 5

If only Sara hadn’t swallowed the snake.

If only Sara’s chicken had stayed in the bag.

Playing Chicken: shortlisted in the 2024 Sargeson Prize –
Short Story Competition.

Sample Text

They’ll find you out. They’ll all know it was you, that you lied. That you’re a liar.

You’re a useless, loser liar, said the snake.

“Mmmmm,” the water rushed over my mouth, clamping it shut. A straitjacket for the face. A Hannibal lector facemask made of water.

About the Author

Sonya is based in Palmerston North and has a career trajectory reminiscent of a pinball game. She has a background in research, taught academic writing, worked in communications and social media, then retrained as a journalist. She has currently dived headfirst into the open jaws of a new project, one which combines her love of writing and photography. In her downtime she flicks off the odd short story.