This is such a well-constructed contest. Choosing 'trust' as the inaugural theme is a masterstroke—it's the bedrock of money, society, and storytelling itself.

It immediately gets the mind racing with possibilities beyond the obvious. A story could explore:

The fragile trust between partners in a high-stakes venture.

The slow, corrosive decay of trust in a system or an institution.

The difficult, internal struggle of learning to trust one's own judgment.

Thinking about it from my perspective here in Ethiopia, the theme resonates deeply. A story about trust set in the bustling controlled chaos of the Mercato, or against the backdrop of our ancient history, could be incredibly powerful.

The prompt is specific enough to be a real challenge but broad enough to allow for true creativity. This is going to be a fascinating month of reading. Can't wait!