The annual Short Trips competition remembers the contribution of the late Big Finish staffer Paul Spragg. 

For the last seven years, audio producers Big Finish have run their annual Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trips Opportunity. The competition honours the life of Paul Spragg, the dearly missed and much-loved producer’s assistant who was always keen to encourage aspiring writers.

The competition invites new writers to submit a synopsis and opening extract for a narrated Doctor Who story, with the winner gaining the chance to develop it and have it professionally produced and released.

This year’s story is The World Tree, an Eleventh Doctor tale written by Nick Slawicz.

Here’s the synopsis for The World Tree:

Nora Wicker is forgetful. Not big things – not yet, anyway. She remembers her address and where the shops are. She remembers people when they come to visit, no matter how rare that is.

But she doesn’t remember where the bush with the red leaves in her garden came from – and she definitely doesn’t remember asking for a house call from the Eleventh Doctor.

The tale is performed by Lisa Bowerman, script edited and produced by Peter Anghelides, with sound design by Alastair Lock. There’s a Q&A with the winning writer here.

Doctor Who: Short Trips: The World Tree is available to download now, for free, from Big Finish.

Previous Trips

The six previous winners of the competition are still available too. You can check out our reviews of Forever Fallen, Landbound, The Last Day at Work, The Best-Laid Plans, Free Speech and The Lichyrwick Abomination.