And the winners are…

Earlier this year, we petitioned our readers to cast in prose their most precious treasures. Now, wrapping up the second iteration of The World of Interiors x Montblanc Writing Competition, Elly Parsons is pleased to announce this year’s two winners and four runners-up

By Elly Parsons

8 October 2025

It’s said that a creative mind plays with the objects it loves. Almost 800 writers took Carl Jung’s words literally, selecting an object of meaning and taking the time to consecrate it in 500 words. The 400,000 words that resulted revealed how deeply we connect with the objects that we cherish (and how quickly my team can read). Your One Lasting Things had trans-generational and international lifespans: they were handed down from grandparents, hopped continents, forgotten under beds, framed, lost at sea. There were objects of great monetary value: three different pianos, four ornate chests and nine gold rings (really!). Others chose humbler stuff. One, included in the following pages, chose a scrunched up plastic water bottle. Another chose his roomie, Kevin.

The entrants were as diverse as the objects they chose, as is represented by this year’s finalists. Eighty-four-year-old Rita La Force’s story is one of perseverance. She entered the competition last year and narrowly missed out on a top spot. This year, she returns having clinched the US gold. We also have essays by students, copywriters, dads, dog-owners and next-big-things.

Thank you to everyone who entered, our collaborative partner Montblanc – whose commitment to enduring craftsmanship helped inspire our theme – and to our dedicated team of readers who whittled down almost 800 entries (Donna Salek, Damian Thompson, Gareth Wyn Davies), alongside our esteemed judges, Emily Tobin, Hamish Bowles, Indira Varma and Kim Hastreiter.
Last year’s winners are currently enjoying productive sessions with their WoI mentors, and we look forward to working with the 2025 cohort on crafting many more stories that will, in turn, last and last.

UK Winner: Iqbal Hussain

Iqbal’s first children’s book, The Night I Borrowed Time, is published by Puffin in 2026. Though today he lives happily in London with his partner and dog, When the Streets Fell Silent details his traumatic departure from Blackburn. Evoking a community eroded as feet wear away cobblestone, the piece impressed the judges with its sense of time passing: ‘a year in the life of waiting for the bulldozers’, as Indira puts it. ‘It’s so moving: you really feel the people disappearing.’ Hamish agrees: ‘These little houses were doomed, but each held this incredible story.’ Read Iqbal’s winning story here.

US Winner: Rita LaForce

The World of Interiors Writing Competition 2025 Winners Announced

Born in San Francisco, Rita studied theatre at university before returning to her birth city to work in offices – but, in her words: ‘I’ve been a storyteller and artist since I was two: “writing” sketches about my beloved Oz and drawing pictures from my imagination.’ Fiammeta Wears Pretty Clothes – a ‘clear winner’ for Kim – brings to life a doll worthy of L. Frank Baum himself. ‘She dealt with memory beautifully,’ says Indira: ‘the way one object can invite all these people into your world.’ ‘It’s like Fiammeta embodied an alternate reality,’ adds Emily. Read Rita’s winning story here.

Further reading on The World of Interiors Writing Competition: