Writing tips for & Submit to Newsjack BBC Radio 4. Deadlines: Feb various

Writing Tips: Angela Barnes shares the secrets to writing for Newsjack
Now... Submit a sketch

Make sure you read our rules before you start sending us your material...

1. Download the template(s) below
2. Write your name and email address plus twitter username (if you have one) at the bottom of the document
3. Write in your sketches or one-liners
4. Attach your sketches or one-liners in an email and send to: newsjacksubmissions@bbc.co.uk(You will NOT receive an auto-response confirmation from newsjacksubmissions@bbc.co.uk. However, if you do not get an "undelivered message" back, then we have received it. Thanks.)
Templates:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/newsjack/ONELINERS_RENAME_THIS_FILE_WITH_YOUR_NAME.rtf
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/newsjack/SKETCHES_RENAME_THIS_FILE_WITH_YOUR_NAME_AND_SKETCH_TITLE.RTF
(These are .rtf files - compatible with both MAC and PC, if you’re having trouble opening it please try opening in another programme. Please do not send in a pdf of your submission.)
Example:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/newsjack/Robin_Morgan_Sexist_Space_EXAMPLE.pdf
(This is an example of what a formatted sketch looks like - Arial 12pt, double line spacing, indentation hanging by 4cm. If you are having real problems with the template above please just get your sketch looking as close to this as possible)
Deadlines:
Submissions open: Thursday 19 January
Sketches: Noon Monday 23 January
One-Liners: Noon Tuesday 24 January
Then at the same times each week, for 5 weeks.
Submissions after these times will NOT be read.
Sketch Guidelines:
Please write an introduction for each sketch, clearly outlining the news story that it's from and setting up the sketch for clarity.
Each episode will have the following sections. The show will contain a maximum of three sketches in each section.
Arts & Entertainment
Business & Economy
Politics
Science & Technology
Sport
World News
Please think outside the box - delve deep for stories you find fun/interesting.
Sketch limit per episode: two sketches per person

One-liner guidelines:
Each episode will contain one-liners in the following forms ONLY:
Breaking News
A one-liner ideally linked to a current news story.
e.g. Obama gives interview to Buzzfeed. What happened next will warm your heart.
Number Crunching (replaces Viewsjack)
That's right, Viewjack is out and Number Crunching is in. This breaks down the weeks news into a series of funny statistics. Coming at the end of the show it will use numbers to illuminate the big issues…
The format is very simple – the first statistic is the set up and the second is the punchline. We envisage this as a great way of finding different angles and stories for the show, so think imaginatively (and topically)!
Examples:
4: days per week Nigel Farage’s new radio show is on the air.
0: days per week Nigel Farage will turn up to work.
Over one quarter – the number of Parisians who have group sex.
Over three quarters – the number of Londoners who have Groupon.
24: hours the tube lines were closed due to industrial action.
58 million: people who don’t live in London who couldn’t care less.
4: hours the NHS guarantees you will be seen in A&E.
4: the number of letters Jeremy Hunt believes are in “A&E”.
1: number of times Boris Johnson has met with Donald Trump’s advisors.
16: number of times Boris Johnson insisted he wasn’t the UK’s Donald Trump Tribute Act.
10: years since the launch of the iPhone.
10: minutes my current iPhone battery lasts.
One-liner limit per episode: six one-liners per person (3 breaking news, 3 number crunching).

Fees:
There is a flat fee for all non-commissioned material (regardless of the writer's previous experience):
£43.00 per min for sketch
£21.50 per 30 seconds for sketch
£21.50 per one-liner
This fee will be for taking all rights in the work on a non-exclusive basis.

Bad Dreams by Tessa Hadley review – enthralling short stories

Bad Dreams by Tessa Hadley review – enthralling short stories

Twenty Questions with Joyce Carol Oates

Twenty Questions with Joyce Carol Oates

Stories for Homes seeks Flash Fiction & Short Stories. Deadline: Feb 14

Stories for Homes 2

The idea of ‘Home’ has been on our minds a lot recently. More than ever, with millions of people driven from their homes all over the world, ‘shelter’ often equates to ‘safety’. Closer to home, at least 120,000 children in the UK were homeless for Christmas 2016. Shelter, the charity that helps the homeless and those in poor housing, needs our help more than ever, and what better way to do that than by bringing our creative minds to consider all that home means?
We are now open for submissions for Stories for Homes Volume 2. The plan is to launch the e-book in September 2017 and a paperback version in November 2017. Just as with Stories for Homes 1, all profits will go directly to Shelter.
Here are the submission guidelines:
Stories should be between 100 and 3000 words long (not including the title).
The theme is HOME.
Please send your story as a Word document in an attachment to sforh2@gmail.com AND copy in debi.alper@gmail.com. It’s important to send it to both email addresses.
DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME ON THE ATTACHMENT. Submissions will be considered anonymously. All writers are welcome to submit – unpublished, previously published and those who were included in Stories for Homes Volume One. Anonymous submissions will give a level playing field to all those submitting.
The deadline is midnight (UK time) 14th February 2017.

Free Read: The Curtain Blown by the Breeze by Muriel Spark

The Curtain Blown by the Breeze by Muriel Spark

Free Read: The Braindead Megaphone an essay by George Saunders

Free Read: The Braindead Megaphone an essay by George Saunders

Free Read: an extract of 'Transit' by Rachel Cusk

Read an extract of 'Transit' by Rachel Cusk

NWN seeks Senior Programme Manager (Writing & Awards). Deadline: March 16.

Full-time, permanent, £25,719pa

This newly created post brings together our awards and prizes and writer development and promotion activities. For this unique post we’re looking for someone with experience of designing and managing professional development for writers along with an understanding of the publishing industry that will support our awards and prizes.
Closing date: Thursday 16 March
Download the job pack.

Apply for this job 

The Leicester Writes Short Story Prize. Deadline: April 3

The Leicester Writes Short Story Prize is being organised by Leicester based small press, Dahlia Publishing. It is looking for short stories of up to 3000 words on any theme or subject.
Competition organiser, Farhana Shaikh said: ‘We’re really excited about launching this competition and unearthing some raw talent. Leicestershire is a hotbed of creative talent and we have a great history of producing some of the UK’s most loved writers. Last year, we published two titles showcasing the region’s literary talent. This year, we hope to find more hidden voices.’
The competition is open to writers all over the world but a concession is being offered to local residents to encourage them enter. An esteemed judging panel consisting of writers Rebecca Burns, Nina Stibbe, Divya Ghelani and Grace Haddon, as well as The Bookshop Kibworth owner, Debbie James will help pick a winner.

A selection of entries will be published in an anthology and launched during the annual Leicester Writes Festival of New Writing. The winner will receive a £100.

Entries can be made online at www.leicesterwrites.co.uk.
The closing date for entries is April 3, 2017.

The Making of a First Novel: An Interview with Lijia Zhang

The Making of a First Novel: An Interview with Lijia Zhang

Anna Noyes - finalist for the prestigious The Story Prize - on Sex, Guilt and Summer People

Anna Noyes - finalist for the prestigious The Story Prize - on Sex, Guilt and Summer People.

ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize. Deadline: April 10

Australian Book Review welcomes entries in the 2017 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize, one of the world’s leading prizes for an original short story. We are seeking stories of between 2,000 and 5,000 words, written in English. Stories must not have been previously published or be on offer to other prizes or publications for the duration of the Jolley Prize. The Jolley Prize is open to anyone in the world who is writing in English.
The 2017 Jolley Prize is worth a total of $12,500, with a first prize of $7,000 and supplementary prizes of $2,000 and $1,000. The judges will also commend three additional stories, the authors of which will each receive $850.

Entries close at midnight 10 April 2017.

The first prize is $7,000 with supplementary prizes of $2,000 and $1,000. All three shortlisted stories will be published in the magazine. The commended stories will be published subsequently.

Authors are encouraged to enter their stories online, but postal entries will still be accepted using the form below.
Entry fees

Online entry (current ABR subscriber) - $15
Online entry (full-time student) - $15
Online entry (standard/non subscriber) - $25*

* Non-subscribers will receive ABR Online free of charge for three months from entry.
Special online entry + subscription bundles
Subsequent entries may be submitted at the subscriber rate

Online entry + ABR Online subscription - $50
Online entry + Print subscription (Australia) - $95
Online entry + Print subscription (NZ and Asia) - $140
Online entry + Print subscription (Rest of World) - $155

ABR will publish the three shortlisted stories in the 2017 August Fiction Issue and announce the overall winner at a special event later that month. Three commended stories will also be published later in the year.

Click here to enter the Jolley Prize online.

We will also still be accepting hard-copy entries. Click here to download a PDF of the entry form.
Please read our list of Frequently Asked Questions and our Terms and Conditions before contacting us with a question about the Jolley Prize.
You may be interested in reading the shortlisted stories from previous years. More information about all our past winners is available here, along with links to their stories.
ABR gratefully acknowledges Mr Ian Dickson's generous support for the Jolley Prize.

‘Un bon garcon’ Shortlisted for Prix du Roman Cezam

Click to buy

“Paul McVeigh has written a first novel of beautiful generosity, poignant in the delicate manner in which he evokes the brutality of an era. A striking fresco, mixing historical upheavals and hardships of a family shattered.” Le Monde

Some exciting news. Un bon garcon has been shortlisted for the Prix du Roman Cezam Inter-CE in (you’ve guessed it) France. 10 books have been chosen and readers from all over France will vote for their favourites.

It’s great to know that readers in France have been reading Un bon garcon and enjoying it so much they’ve nominated it for this award.

So rub your rabbits foot, cross your fingers, say a prayer… what do the French do for luck? – and maybe I’ll be the winner.
Oh that gives me a thought…. to celebrate my shortlisting I’m giving away a copy of Un bon garcon. All you have to do is answer the question…

What do the French say is good luck if you do it with your left foot?

Write your answer below and I’ll pick a winner at random evening of Monday 23rd.

BBC National Short Story Award. Deadline: March 6

Calling all published writers! Do you have a short story to tell?

It’s the 12th year of the BBC National Short Story Award and No.1 bestselling author Joanna Trollope will chair the judging panel for 2017. Trollope, known as one of the most insightful chroniclers and social commentators writing today, is also a long-time short story writer. Her eagerly anticipated 20th novel, City of Friends, will be published in February 2017.

Joining her on the panel will be a formidable line-up of writers who are prizewinners themselves: Eimear McBride (Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction); short story writer and academic Jon McGregor (IMPAC Award); Sunjeev Sahota (Encore Award); and returning judge Di Speirs, Books Editor at BBC Radio.

All the judges are eager to read the best, and most innovative, works of short fiction from new and established writers. Last year’s winner was K J Orr for her story ‘Disappearances’, with previous alumni including Lionel Shriver, Zadie Smith, Hilary Mantel and William Trevor.

(You can read about my experience being commissioned by BBC Radio 4 and tips I got from a BBC producer who has produced the new Neil Gaiman radio adaptations).

The timetable

The BBC National Short Story Award is one of the most prestigious for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000, and four further shortlisted authors £600 each. The 2017 Award is open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing. The full Terms and Conditions will be available and submissions accepted online at www.bbc.co.uk/nssa from 9am Thursday 26 January 2017. The deadline for receipt of entries is 9am Monday 6 March 2017.

Encouragement from the judges

Joanne Trollope says: "It’s an enormous pleasure and honour to be chairing the BBC National Short Story Award for 2017. I am a huge fan of the short story as a genre, not least because it manages to create such a peculiarly intimate relationship between writer and reader, and I believe that relationship to be immensely important to good writing. There is nothing like a short story, really, to humanise literature, from the greats of the past – Chekhov, de Maupassant, William Trevor – to the greats of the present. It is wonderful to see the genre revive as it has, in no small part thanks to awards like this one. And the revival has revealed many hitherto unknown talents in this far from easy, if rewarding, genre. I look forward so much to reading the entries for 2017 – who knows what we will discover?”

Di Speirs, Editor of Books at BBC Radio and judge of the Award since its inception, says, "I’m hugely excited about the twelfth BBC National Short Story Award – we have a wonderful panel of judges and given the great discoveries and delights of past years, I confidently predict there will be a huge range of stories, inspirational, entertaining and challenging, in our reading pile. I am really looking forward to reading authors new and old, and to bringing their work to BBC Radio 4’s eager audience of short story lovers.”

What happens next?

The shortlist will be announced on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row at 7.15pm on Friday 15 September 2017 (subject to change). Readings of the shortlisted stories will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from Monday 18 to Friday 22 September and the stories will be published in an Award anthology published by Comma Press. Interviews with the shortlisted writers will air from Friday 15 September 2017 on Front Row. The announcement of the BBC National Short Story Award 2017 with BookTrust winner will be broadcast live from the Award ceremony on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row from 7.15pm on Tuesday 3 October 2017.

Stephen King Explains the Key to His Creativity

Stephen King Explains the Key to His Creativity: Not Losing the Dream-State Thinking All Children Are Born With

Free Read/Listen: the Costa Short Story Award Shortlist

Read or Listen to all the three Costa Short Story Award shortlist.

Start Reading 'Human Acts' by Man Booker International Winner Han Kang

Start Reading Human Acts by Han Kang

Here's a sneak peek of the second novel by the Man Booker International Prize-winning author of The Vegetarian.

Affordable Online Writing Courses with Writers' HQ

Affordable Online Writing Courses with Writers' HQ

No time or money to book a writing course? We get it. At Writers' HQ we know all too well how hard it is to hold down a job and a family and deal with evil imposter syndrome and the guilt that comes with trying to carve out time to write. There are plenty of lovely, sparkly writing courses out there, but most of them come with a whopper of a price tag and require taking time off that's just not feasible for scruffy little writers like us. And so we decided: SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.

So, with help from the brilliant Arts Council England, we've brought out procrastination-busting, arse-kicking, profanity-laden, low-cost writing courses to the great big world of the internet. Access all our literary awesomeness from the comfort of your laptop with our suite of online courses - all portioned out into bite-sized chunks for you to complete as and when you're able to shoehorn them in around your busy lives. 

Our online courses include: 

Seven Ideas in Seven Days - 1 Week Online Course

6th-12th Feb and 6th-12th March

Price: £20

Learn how to see, hear and think like a writer with Writers’ HQ’s new online creative writing course, Seven Ideas in Seven Days. Designed to fit around every day life and a busy schedule wherever you are in the world, we’ll give you techniques and exercises for generating ideas and turning them into usable outlines for brilliant stories.

By the end you will have seven inspiring ideas that can be grown into fully fledged stories, or inserted into existing stories to make them even better...

Try a day for free and book your place HERE.

Plotstormers: How to Plot a Novel - 6 Week Online Course

6th Feb - 19th March

Price: £140

They say everyone has a novel inside them – the tricky part is getting it out without painful invasive surgery. This in-depth online plotting course contains everything you need to plan out your story from start to finish so that your rip roaring ready to get that first draft out, without too much swearing.

Learn the fundamentals of plotting a novel, wherever you are in the world. This online course is designed to fit around everyday life and a busy schedule, you will start with a simple idea, and finish with a comprehensive outline of your novel ready to be first drafted.

Over six weeks, we’ll help you to build a practical understanding of story structure and plotting. By the end, you’ll walk away with a comprehensive outline of your story and a plan for what to do next (clue: write!).

Includes: 

- daily online classes and exercises on redrafting, reconstructing and refining your manuscript

- help and advice from award-winning authors

- weekly online meet-ups with your course tutor

- a private online community to support you

- help finding a beta reader

Try a freebie week and book your place HERE. 

Novel Editing: Kick Your First Draft Into Shape - 6 Week Online Course

6th Feb - 19th March

Price: £140

First drafts are notoriously meant to be awful. Hemingway said so – it must be true. Writers’ HQ’s new online novel editing course will take you from ‘ugh this is rubbish’ to ‘omg I can totally do this’ in six weeks. Designed to fit around everyday life and a busy schedule wherever you are in the world, we’ll take you step-by-step through deconstructing your work and then rebuilding it, transforming it into something beautiful.

Includes: 

- daily online classes and exercises on redrafting, reconstructing and refining your manuscript

- help and advice from award-winning authors

- weekly online meet-ups with your course tutor

- a private online community to support you through your editing

- help finding a beta reader

Try a freebie week and book your place HERE.

Find a Literary Agent, Submit your Manuscript, Get Published - 6 Week Online Course

20th March - 30th April

Price: £140

You think you’ve done the hard part by writing a book, but getting your novel published is the next big slog to tackle. Writers’ HQ’s new online manuscript submission course will help you prepare for the big leap towards getting your work out into the world.

It’s time. You’ve spent hundreds of hours and writing and editing and polishing your story. It’s ready to become a Real Life Book Thing. So now what? Where do you start? How do you find the right agent? How do you package up your manuscript so it won’t end up at the bottom of the slush pile? What even IS a slush pile? Well, that’s what this course is for.

Spend six weeks learning how to write a query, a snappy synopsis and giving yourself the best chance of slapping your manuscript down onto the desk of your perfect agent.

Try a freebie week and book your place HERE. 

Writing Short Fiction - 6 Week Online Course 

20th March - 30th April

Price: £140

Short stories aren’t just easier versions of the novel. They’re a broad, complex and rewarding art form in their own right. Writers’ HQ’s new online writing short story course will help you see the bigger picture and compress it into short stories with real punch.

So what makes truly great short fiction? The kind that leaves you dribbling, slack-jawed, slap-faced when you finish it. The kind you remember forever, like some weird dream-memory. Well. We can’t write it for you, but we can give you a nudge, a shove, and a poke with a sharp stick (whatever floats your boat) to help you on your way. With the help of writing prompts, advice from award-winning short fiction writers, inspiring exercises, and our awesome little online community, you’ll come out the other side at least one fully formed short story to call your very own.

Try a freebie week and book your place HERE

Visit our website at www.writershq.co.uk to try a free taster of each course, find out more, and book your place. 

Email us at hello@writershq.co.uk if you have any questions, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for stupid writing memes, competitions, opportunities and general writing motivation!

5 Debut Short Story Collections with Less-Than-Perfect Protagonists

5 Debut Short Story Collections with Less-Than-Perfect Protagonists By Jennie Yabroff

Kevin Barry: ‘I love reading my work. I’m 98% ham’

Kevin Barry: ‘I love reading my work. I’m 98% ham’

You can’t keep the darkly comic writer from the theatre – hardly surprising for a ‘frustrated actor’. He talks about his play Autumn Royal

South Dakota Review seeks Fiction, Poetry, Essays & More. Deadline: May 31

Submission Guidelines:
South Dakota Review is committed to cultural and aesthetic diversity. First and foremost, we seek to publish exciting and compelling work that reflects the full spectrum of the contemporary literary arts. Since its inception in 1963, South Dakota Review has maintained a tradition of supporting work by contemporary writers writing from or about the American West. We hope to retain this unique flavor through particularly welcoming works by American Indian writers, writers addressing the complexities and contradictions of the “New West”, and writers exploring themes of landscape, place, and/or eco-criticism in surprising and innovative ways. At the same time, we’d like to set these ideas and themes in dialogue with and within the context of larger global literary communities. South Dakota Review publishes fiction, poetry, essays (and mixed/hybrid-genre work), as well as literary reviews, interviews, and translations.
South Dakota Review considers only previously unpublished work. We are published quarterly, and we read submissions September 1 – May 31.
South Dakota Review strongly recommends that, before submitting, potential contributors first read the journal. Sample copies ($8 per back issue) may be purchased upon request.

Manuscript Preparation:
Manuscripts must be word-processed or typewritten, and should include the author’s contact information (including an e-mail address) as well as a short bio note. Please see below for further submissions guidance.
Prose manuscripts should be double-spaced. Although there is no word limit, the majority of prose works accepted in South Dakota Review are typically no longer than 6,000 words. Scholarly essays should follow MLA guidelines. Please do not submit entire poetry manuscripts/collections for consideration. Standard poetry submissions typically consist of anywhere from three to six poems.
Simultaneous Submissions Policy:
South Dakota Review does accept simultaneous submissions, but please indicate if the manuscript under consideration is a simultaneous submission, and please withdraw/notify immediately should the manuscript be accepted elsewhere.
Notifications, Publication, and Payment:
Most submissions will receive notifications within eight to ten weeks. Manuscripts accepted for publication will typically appear in the journal within one year of acceptance. Contributors will be asked to sign a contract granting South Dakota Review first North American serial rights, and will also be asked to proofread their magazine galley proofs prior to publication.
Payment for publication consists of two contributor copies of the issue in which the manuscript appears, followed by a one-year subscription to the South Dakota Review. Additional contributor copies of the issue in which an author’s manuscript appears may be ordered at a special contributors’ rate. South Dakota Review acquires first North American serial rights and reserves the right to reprint; other than that, copyright privileges revert back to the contributing writers following publication.

How to Submit:
South Dakota Review now accepts submissions through the Submittable management system. (Please note that unsolicited manuscripts must arrive through Submittable. Please do not attempt to submit manuscripts to South Dakota Review via e-mail, as they will be ignored.) South Dakota Review’s online submission system can be accessed at the following link:
https://southdakotareview.submittable.com/submit
As of 2013, South Dakota Review no longer accepts submissions via postal mail. Other correspondence that requires an envelope may be sent to:
South Dakota Review
The University of South Dakota
Department of English
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Please feel free to e-mail us at sdreview@usd.edu with any queries not addressed above. You may also contact South Dakota Review by phone at (605) 677-5184.

Listen: George Saunders on his novel 'Lincoln in the Bardo'

George Saunders on his novel 'Lincoln in the Bardo'

What Being an What Being an Editor Taught Me About Writing

What Being an What Being an Editor Taught Me About Writing

Anna Pitoniak on the Inside Tricks of the Trade

Impress Prize for New Writers. Deadline: June 30

Submissions must be received no later than 30/06/17

Entries should comprise of a book proposal and a sample chapter of no more than 6,000 words.
The proposal should include the following information:
- Name and contact details of author (including email, mobile number and landline number)
- Author biography
- Rationale for publishing the book
- Synopsis and/or contents
- Market readership
- Illustrations (if appropriate) and proposed length.
The sample chapter should be:
- Written in English
- Printed in 12pt typeface
- Double spaced on single-sided A4 sheets
- Maximum 6,000 words long
- Developed such that it can be published in the following year.

Terms and Conditions

1. Conditions of Entry
i.            Online entry costs £15 per entry.
ii.            All entries must be received by 5pm GMT on 30/06/17.
iii.            Impress Books reserves the right to reasonably refuse an entry if it is submitted after the closing deadline. Your submission will be refunded in this instance.
iv.            You must be 16 years of age and over to enter the Impress Prize for New Writers.
v.            The Impress Prize for New Writers is open to writers of any nationality writing in English.
vi.            The Prize is open to writers of fiction and non-fiction, however it does exclude poetry. If you have previously published an academic work, you are permitted to submit a work of fiction.
vii.            Impress Prize entrants must not have had a full work published by any traditional publishing company.  This does not include self-published works, chapters/short stories in an anthology, or academic text books.
viii.            By entering the Impress Prize you confirm that the entry is your own work and that the rights are not owned by anyone other than yourself in any form.
ix.            By entering the Impress Prize you confirm that the entry is not libellous or unlawful.
x.            You can enter as many different entries as you wish. Please note that each submission is subject to a separate entry fee.
xi.            Impress Books reserves the right to disqualify any entry if it has reasonable grounds to believe that the entrant has breached any of these rules. If you are disqualified based on information omitted from your entry, you will not be refunded.
xii.            Impress Prize entries cannot be altered or changed after they have been entered into the competition.
xiii.            Entrants are granted a 14 day cooling off period from the date of submission. If you choose to withdraw from the prize within this cooling off period, you will be granted a full refund.
2. Entry Requirements
i.            Entries should comprise of a book proposal of no more than 1,000 words and a sample chapter of no more than 6,000 words.
ii.            The proposal should include: name and contact details of the author, author biography, rationale for publishing the book, synopsis and/or contents, market readership.
iii.            The sample chapter should be: written in English, written in 12pt typeface, double spaced, developed to a point where it can be published in the following year.
3. Conditions of Selection
i.            No more than 12 entries will be selected for the shortlist.
ii.            The selection process is final. No correspondence or discussion will be entered into once the shortlist has been announced.
ii.            On the condition that your entry is shortlisted, you grant Impress Books permission to consider your work for publication once the Prize winner has been announced.
iii.            By submitting an entry to the Prize you grant Impress Books the right to advertise your name and the title of your entry on the Impress Prize website if you are shortlisted.
4. Conditions of Winning
i.            The prize is the offer of publishing contract with Impress Books in volume and verbatim ebook form in the English language. The contract is subject to negotiation between the publisher and the author/agent.
ii.            By winning the prize, in the event of the winner being represented by an agent, you grant Impress Books permission to contact your agent and enter into negotiations with them.
iii.            Impress Books has first refusal on purchasing the worldwide publishing rights in all languages of the winning entry for a period of one year after winning the prize.
iv.            Impress Books reserves the right to edit the winning entry of the Impress Prize once a publishing contract has been negotiated and signed by both parties based on the author’s approval.
v.            The winner of the Impress Prize for New Writers is deemed by way of entering the competition to have granted Impress Books worldwide licence over their Impress Prize entry for publicity purposes. Selected pieces may appear in electronic format on the Impress Books and Impress Prize websites, or in other electronic forms.
5. Disclaimer
i.            Impress Books cannot accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant entering the Impress Prize for New Writers competition.
ii.            Impress Books will act in accordance with current UK data protection legislation in relation to your personal data. All personal data entered on this site is secure and will not be passed on to third parties.
6. Agreement of Entry
i.            By submitting your entry and paying the fee, you acknowledge and accept the listed terms and conditions.

A Phone Call From Paul: Neil Gaiman

A Phone Call From Paul: Neil Gaiman

Introducing a Literary Podcast with Paul Holdengraber

http://lithub.com/a-phone-call-from-paul-neil-gaiman/

A3 Review Arts Magazine - Ongoing Monthly Submissions of Short Fiction, Poetry, Art and more

A3 Review Arts Magazine - Ongoing Monthly Submissions

The A3 Review, a bi-annual magazine that folds like a map, runs a monthly themed contest for writers and artists. We're looking for short fiction, poetry, graphic stories, photography, artwork or visual and word-based combinations. 

Two winning entries from each month’s contest are published in The A3 Review and receive a ‘goody bag’ of past issues and Writing Maps. In addition, three overall winners are chosen each issue to receive cash prizes. 

Submissions should be no more than 150 words (title not included). and artwork needs to fit easily into an A6 sized panel. There is a small entry fee of £3 ($5) per submission to cover production costs and ensure we can continue to offer cash prizes. 

Contests are judged by Editors and authors KM Elkes and Shaun Levin.

For further information about the current contest theme, how to submit and The A3 Review itself, go to: http://www.writingmaps.com/collections/the-a3-review

Listen of Download The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin on BBC Radio

Listen of Download The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin on BBC Radio

The American Novel Since 1945: A Free Yale Course on Novels by Nabokov, Kerouac, Morrison, Pynchon & More

The American Novel Since 1945: A Free Yale Course on Novels by Nabokov, Kerouac, Morrison, Pynchon & More

THRESHOLDS INTERNATIONAL SHORT FICTION FEATURE WRITING COMPETITION. Deadline: Mar 5

THRESHOLDS INTERNATIONAL SHORT FICTIONFEATURE WRITING COMPETITION
~
1st Prize of £500
2 x Runner-up Prize of £100
3 x Shortlist prizes: announcing soon
DEADLINE: 05 March 2017, 11:59pm (GMT)
FREE TO ENTER

THRESHOLDS is the only online forum dedicated to the reading, writing and study of the short story form. One overall winner will be chosen, followed by two runners-up. We are inviting submissions in either of the following feature categories:

Author Profile: exploring the life, writings and influence of a single short story writer.
We Recommend: personal recommendations of a collection, anthology, group of short stories or a single short story.

FULL COMPETITION RULES CAN BE FOUND HERE. Entries should be emailed to: thresholds@chi.ac.uk with the subject line ‘Feature Competition’.

The winning and runner-up feature essays and shortlist will be published on the THRESHOLDS Forum during 2017.

We are sometimes asked what we mean by ‘feature essay’:

The answer is a non-fiction essay that has an engaging style. Something that makes us want to stop what we’re doing and pick up the story being recommended, or find a collection by the author being profiled. The judges hope to see a range of styles and approaches in the feature essays, and interesting or experimental angles are certainly welcome. We look, above all, at the quality of prose, the insights offered, and your ability to really hook your readers. The focus must be on the short story form.*

* PLEASE READ THE COMPETITION RULES HERE AND THE GENERAL THRESHOLDS Submission Guidelines CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING *

Previous winning essays: 2016 winner: The Iron Which Pierces the Heart by Alex Coulton
2015 winner: The Laureate of the Veld by Richard Newton
2014 winner: Wolves at the Hearthside by Sharon Telfer
2013 winner: A Trio of Irish Short Stories by Nuala Ní Chonchúir
2012 winner: H.P. Lovecraft by Geoff Holder

The runners-up can be found here.

To note:

• The Competition is open for non-fiction entries only. Short story submissions will NOT be accepted.
• Entries will be judged anonymously. Your name, address, or email address should NOT appear on the manuscript.
• The entrant warrants to THRESHOLDS’ editors that the essay is original to him/her, that he/she has the full power to agree to the Competition rules of entry, and that he/she is the sole author of the feature essay.
• The entrant warrants to THRESHOLDS’ editors that his/her essay is in no way whatsoever a violation of any existing copyright and that it contains nothing libelous.
• The judges’ decisions are final and no discussion will be entered into once work has been submitted. The judges reserve the right not to make the award if the quality of entries does not merit it.
• By entering the competition, you are deemed to have agreed to the full competition rules.
READ THE FULL COMPETITION RULES HERE.

The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize £5000 & £10,000. Deadline: Jan 23

The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize is an annual award for adventure writing.
This award is split into two separate categories – a prize for the best published adventure novel of the previous calendar year and a prize for the best unpublished adventure manuscript submitted for consideration.
The winner of the prize for a published novel will receive £10,000. The winner of the prize for an unpublished manuscript will be offered the Writer’s Adventure Research Award. The award is an exceptional opportunity in the form of a £5,000 grant, enabling the winner to travel to undertake invaluable research for their next story. They will also be offered guidance from Wilbur’s literary agents at Tibor Jones & Associates.

Criteria

Entries for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize must meet the following criteria:

Published Work

1. Entries can be submitted from the 31st of October 2016 until the 23rd of January 2017. Any novel submitted after the deadline will not be eligible for entry.
2. The competition is open to writers of any nationality writing in English.
3. Entrants may submit multiple works as long as they were all published between the 1st of January 2016 and the 1st of January 2017.
4. The work in question must have been published by a recognised trade publisher.
5. Entrants must submit two copies of the completed novel, as well as a covering letter explaining why the work qualifies as adventure writing (using the definition provided here), to the following address: The Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation, 2-6 Atlantic Road, 2^nd Floor, London, SW9 8HY.
6. We reserve the right to disqualify any entry if we have reasonable grounds to believe that the entrant has breached any of these rules.
7. We cannot accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant entering the competition.
8. We will act in accordance with current UK data protection legislation in relation to your personal data. All personal data entered is secure.
9. We reserve the right to amend these rules where it is deemed necessary to do so or where circumstances are beyond our control. We reserve the right to not award the first prize, where circumstances are beyond our control, or if the judges’ overall verdict is that the level of entries is not up to the required standard.
10. Submission of entry is taken to be an unqualified acceptance of these rules.
11. The shortlist will be announced in April 2017.

Unpublished Work

1. Entries can be submitted from the 31st of October 2016 until the 23rd of January 2017. Any manuscript submitted after the deadline will not be eligible for entry.
2. The competition is open to writers of any nationality writing in English.
3. You may enter multiple works but novels will be considered as separate entries, so each completed manuscript must be accompanied by its own covering letter, explaining why the work qualifies as adventure writing (using the definition provided here), a synopsis and a copy of your CV.
4. All submissions must be made via email (submissions@wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org).
5. Submissions must exceed 50,000 words in length.
6. Self-published e-books are eligible, but manuscripts that have been published in any other format are not.
7. If you enter your novel in other competitions and you win, please notify us and withdraw your submission.
8. Entrants must not be represented by a literary agent.
9. We reserve the right to disqualify any entry if we have reasonable grounds to believe that the entrant has breached any of these rules.
10. We cannot accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant entering the competition.
11. We will act in accordance with current UK data protection legislation in relation to your personal data. All personal data entered is secure.
12. We reserve the right to amend these rules where it is deemed necessary to do so or where circumstances are beyond our control. We reserve the right to not award the first prize, where circumstances are beyond our control, or if the judges’ overall verdict is that the level of entries is not up to the required standard for publication.
13. Submission of entry is taken to be an unqualified acceptance of these rules.
14. The shortlist will be announced in April 2017.

Free Read: “Carry Me Home, Sisters of St. Joseph” by Marie-Helene Bertino

“Carry Me Home, Sisters of St. Joseph” by Marie-Helene Bertino

A story about surviving a breakup with a rodeo clown

Granta seeks Fiction. Deadline: Feb 16

Click to submit

Please submit only one complete story or essay, or up to three poems at a time. Multiple submissions will not be read. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry and art will be considered for both our print and online editions, unless you specifically state otherwise in your cover letter. We remain open to submissions of photography and art year-round.

Granta accepts submissions in different categories during the following periods:
Fiction                 16 January – 16 February

We will also be accepting submissions to our Canada issue, Granta 141, between January 9 to February 6, 2017. Submissions may be in French or in English, and are open to Canadians only.

We only publish original material, i.e. first-ever publication. We cannot run a piece that has already appeared on the web or elsewhere in print. We can, however, publish an original translation if the work has previously appeared in another language. We have no set maximum length or minimum length, though most of our submissions are between 3,000-6,000 words.
Please include a cover letter stating where your work has been published before, if relevant. Please do not submit book manuscripts, academic essays or reviews. Please only submit work written in English. Please use double-spacing.
Please note that we are not in a position to comment on your work. We receive a significant number of submissions every day, many of which may be unsuitable for Granta, however well written.
We encourage to all who submit that they read recent issues of Granta to familiarise themselves with material the magazine has published. Subscriptions are available here.

Return to the Granta website here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon can I expect to hear about my submission?
We aim to respond to all submissions within six months of receipt.
How can I check the status of my submission?
You can check the status of your submissions at any time by logging in and clicking on the status of your entry. If your status is ‘Received’, it has been received. If your status is ‘In-Progress’, your piece has been assigned to a member of our editorial staff.
I’m having trouble logging in to check the status of my piece.
Please contact Submittable directly if you have any trouble with the database.
I’ve revised my piece since I have submitted. Can you consider a newer version of a piece rather than the one I submitted?
If you would like us to consider a newer version of an already submitted piece, please log in, withdraw your piece and submit again as a new submission. Please do not contact us separately asking us to replace a submission. We will not receive this email.
I've sent you three poems. Some of them have been accepted elsewhere, or I want to withdraw some from consideration. How do I go about doing this?
If you want to withdraw any individual poems from consideration, please log in and add a note to your submission telling us which poems you wish to withdraw. We will see this when we read your submission and will only consider the remaining poem(s).
My piece has been accepted for a different publication. How do I notify you?
If your piece is accepted elsewhere, please log in and withdraw your submission from our database.
Can I submit my piece somewhere else even if it’s still ‘In-Progress’ in your system?
Yes. If your piece gets accepted elsewhere, please withdraw your submission by logging in, clicking on your entry and following the instructions. Please do not write to Granta asking to withdraw the piece. We will not receive this email.
Can I submit something that's shorter or longer than the 3,000-6,000 word guideline?
Yes - pieces published in Granta are of variable length. But please refrain from submitting book manuscripts or novellas. It is unlikely that we will read more than 10,000 words of any submission.
How can I find out what the upcoming themes of the magazine will be so I may submit appropriate work?
We tend to shape our themes around the work we receive, rather than asking authors to write around our ideas. So please send us your best work – and if we like it we'll be sure to find a place for it.

Ploughshares Literary Journal seeks Poetry & Short Stories. Deadline: Jan 15

Reading Period
We accept submisssions to the journal from June 1, 2016 to January 15, 2017 at noon EST. To submit, please visit our submission manager.  You must be logged in to submit.
S
imultaneous vs. Multiple Submissions
We do not consider multiple submissions, so please send only one manuscript at a time, either by mail or online. Do not send a second submission until you have heard about the first. Simultaneous submissions to other journals are fine as long as they are identified as such and we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere.
If you are working on submissions with an agent, or are an agent submitting work on behalf of an author, please read our note on simultaneous submissions with an agent.

Cover Letters
We encourage you to include a short cover letter with your submission. It should reference:

• Major publications and awards
• Any association or past correspondence with a guest or staff editor
• Past publication in Ploughshares

Manuscript Guidelines

• Typed, double-spaced (poetry may be single-spaced) pages.
• Numbered pages.
• If in hard copy, submit with text on one side of the page.
• Fiction and nonfiction: Less than 6,000 words. Excerpts of longer works are welcome if self-contained. Significantly longer work can be submitted to the Ploughshares Solos series.
• Poetry: Submit 1-5 pages at a time.

Translations are welcome if permission has been granted.
Unsolicited book reviews and criticism are not considered.
Queries to the Look2 Critical Essay series are occasionally welcome (see guidelines here).

Restrictions

• We do not reprint previously published work.
• We cannot accommodate revisions, changes of return address, or forgotten SASEs. We cannot be responsible for delay, loss, or damage.
• We cannot print work written by individuals currently affiliated with Ploughshares or Emerson College as a volunteer screener, intern, student, staff member, or faculty member.

Submitting Online
To submit online, please visit our submission manager.  If this is your first time submitting, you will need to create an account before uploading your document. To do this, click “My Account” at the top right corner of this page.

• There is a $3 service fee for online submissions (current subscribers may submit online without charge*). This is not a reading fee.
• Upload your submission as a Word (.doc, .docx), rich-text format (.rtf) file, or PDF. No .Pages, .txt, or Open Office Documents.
• Upload only one file containing one prose piece or one to five pages of poems. Include your full cover letter as the first page of the file. 
• From the drop-down genre menu, be sure to select the appropriate genre of the work you are submitting.

*If you are a current subscriber, you will still be prompted to checkout, but you will not be required to enter your credit card information and will not be charged.
Submit by Mail
We greatly prefer digital submissions, but you may mail submissions to:
Ploughshares
Emerson College
120 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02116-4624

• Mail your manuscript in a page-size manila envelope with your full name and address written on the outside (at least an inch down from the top, to account for USPS barcodes).
• Identify the genre of your manuscript on the outside of the envelope.
• You must include your email address in your cover letter.  All manuscript replies will be sent via email.
• If you would like your full manuscript to be returned, indicate this in your cover letter and ensure that you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with adequate postage.
• We cannot return manuscripts to international addresses, even with IRCs.
• There is no service charge for mail submissions.

Unsolicited work sent directly to a guest editor's home or office will be ignored and discarded; guest editors are formally instructed not to read such work.
Accessing Your Submissions
You can view the status of your current submission as well as a list of your past submissions at any time by logging in to your account and clicking “My Submissions.”
Notifications and Queries
Expect three to five months for a decision (our backlog is heaviest during the fall and spring). We now receive well over a thousand manuscripts a month, so please be patient. We accept queries after five months have passed. Queries as well as withdrawal notifications should be sent via email or the mail. They should include:

• Your name.
• The date, genre, and title of the submission.
• Whether the submission was sent by mail or online.
• A SASE, if you send your query via mail.

Contributor Honorarium
Payment is upon publication:

• $45/printed page, $90 minimum per title, $450 maximum per author.
• Two contributor copies of the issue.
• A one-year subscription.

Gladstone Library Writers in Residence. Deadline: May 31

POSTMARK DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, 31ST MAY 2017 - Click for site

Now seeking applicants for its seventh year, Gladstone’s Library’s competitive Writer in Residence programme provides space and resources for four writers whose work engages with liberal values.  By liberal values, we do not mean views aligned with any one political ideology, but rather:

• a commitment to freedom and social justice;
• tolerance and respect of difference;
• open-mindedness coupled with intellectual curiosity;
• generosity of spirit and a willingness to learn from others.

Founded by William Ewart Gladstone in 1894, the Library is committed to maintaining his legacy of engagement with social, moral and ethical questions. It does not claim to provide any of the answers but it does offer a comfortable, sociable and stimulating environment so that answers may be found. unparalleled resources for creative study including renowned collections of historical, cultural, theological and political materials: 33,000 books came from Gladstone’s own library, many containing annotations made by Gladstone himself. We know from his diaries that Gladstone read on average five books a week – any applicants can be sure that the Library has something to offer them. The connections Gladstone made between the various disciplines he collected helped shape his form of liberalism.
Through reflection and writing during their stay, Writers in Residence help us redefine liberal values for the 21st Century. Their engagement might be critical, supportive or merely observant. Gladstone was a polymath with interests ranging widely across religion, history, social justice and politics from Classical times to what was, for him, contemporary culture. The scope of these four residencies is equally wide and we welcome fiction and non-fiction writers.
Gladstone's Library is unique. It is the only residential library in the United Kingdom. It provides a meeting place dedicated to dialogue, debate and learning for open-minded individuals. The Residency programme is designed to share the Library’s benefits with as many people as we can, broadening the Library’s audience and benefiting from their perspectives in turn. The Library welcomes all, regardless of gender, race, class, sexual orientation or religious affiliation. All Writers in Residence will be at ease with this inclusive ethos.
Four places will be awarded to writers working in the English language. The proposed dates of the tenures are February, May, September and November 2018. We like to support writers as best we can and we know that many cannot simply abscond from regular life for a month. Residencies can therefore be taken in two two-week blocks, and residencies of a single fortnight will also be considered. We are also flexible with dates. Please indicate the length and suggested date of Residency on your application.
Writers at all stages of their career should feel able to apply for Residency. We are proud to say that Residencies have supported some of the finest writers in the English language, whether they won for their seventeenth book or their first.
Each residency includes:

• Accommodation in an ensuite room for a period of four consecutive weeks;
• All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and refreshments (telephone calls, alcoholic drinks, packaged snacks and formal Afternoon Tea are not included);
• Travel expenses to and from the Library at the start and end of the residency (HMRC mileage allowance or standard bus/train fares within the UK);
• An honorarium of £100.00 per week.

Each winning author must:

• Attend the official London prizewinning ceremony on Monday, 2nd October 2017;
• Participate, where possible, in any other publicity events held before or after their residency;
• Respond to media/press enquiries as appropriate and by prior agreement with the library’s warden, Peter Francis;
• Submit two blog posts to the Gladstone’s Library website;
• Lead a creative writing workshop to not more than twenty participants;
• Give an evening talk about any aspect of their writing and/or creative life;
• Abide by the normal terms and conditions for guests staying at Gladstone’s Library. 

Terms and Conditions:

1. Entrants must submit a one page CV/biography, a copy of the book they would like the judges to consider, a 250-word statement about their take on (re)defining ‘liberal values’ and 250-words on the work that they plan to do at the Library as well as their proposal for an evening event and day masterclass.  Submissions should be sent to Louisa Yates, Gladstone’s Library, Church Lane, Hawarden, Flintshire CH5 3DF.
2. Submissions must be written in English, and applicants should be able to communicate fluently in English. Prose fiction and non-fiction, poetry, screenplays and drama are all eligible for submission. Submitted texts must have been published in the last three years. We accept manuscript submissions accompanied by evidence of a contract and publishing schedule. Academic monographs are not eligible for Writer-in-Residence and should be submitted to the Library’s scholarship programme. As well as standard publication routes, we accept e-published texts. We do not accept self-published authors of any kind. No correspondence can be entered into.  Entry is free and limited to one entry per author. You cannot enter under a pseudonym. Winners will be notified by the end of September and invited to a launch event at the National Liberal Club on Monday, 2nd October 2017. Winners agree to take part in publicity activity and abide by Library rules during tenure.
3. Situated just six miles from Chester, Gladstone’s Library is Britain’s only Prime Ministerial library and the national memorial to William Ewart Gladstone. It is home to a unique collection of more than 250,000 printed items and offers a comfortable, sociable and stimulating environment together with resources for creative study including renowned collections of theological, historical, cultural and political materials. For more information about the Library, please visit the Library’s website: www.gladstoneslibrary.org

'You are looked after well - the food is delicious, the accommodation, with writing desk, is comfortable, quiet and spotless. But it is the library that drew me, [...] I wrote so much, and am sure the magic will work again' (Vanessa Gebbie, 2013)

Free Read: ‘Lucky’ from debut collection of Julianne Pachico

Exclusive Extract: ‘Lucky’ from The Lucky Ones by Julianne Pachico

The Good Son in WHSmith Fresh Talent

Exciting news for me and The Good Son thanks to WHSmith Travel who have chosen me for their Fresh Talent promotion (reported in The Bookseller today). The Good Son will be in all their travel shops in trains stations and airports around the UK. Great news for reaching new audiences.
Special thanks to The Polari Prize (and founder Paul Burston) which, I think, had a lot to do with this.
Here's what WH Smith had to say in The Bookseller today:
"Polari First Book Prize winner The Good Son (Salt) by Northern Irish author Paul McVeigh, a coming-of-age novel following a young boy growing up during the Troubles in 1980s Belfast, was singled out as "a gem of a novel that blends pathos and humour perfectly through the eyes of its inspired and heroic narrator, Mickey."
You can read the whole article and find out about the other authors who were chosen, here.

The Good Son: Winner of The Polari Prize

"One of the most engaging protagonists of the year"

Bailey's Prize-winner Lisa McInerney

Free Listen: Richard Powers Reads Steven Millhauser in New Yorker Podcast

Richard Powers Reads Steven Millhauser
Richard Powers joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss Steven Millhauser’s “A Visit,” from a 1997 issue of the magazine.

Free Read: “Refugees” by Katie Chase

“Refugees” by Katie Chase

The National Memory Day Creative Writing Competition. Poetry & Short Story. Deadline: Jan 20

The National Memory Day Creative Writing Competition invites entries from people of any age writing in English to share their poems and short stories with us.
We are looking for your poems and short stories which evoke our theme of MEMORIES.

All entries should include a completed cover sheet and should not have been published in print or online previously. National Memory Day Creative Writing competition
Entries will be judged by leading writers, poets, professionals and a panel of young people.
Closing date for entries 5pm Friday 20th January 2017. The winners from each category will be announced at the National Memory Day celebrations on 18 May 2017.
The categories for entry are:
– Best Poem Award – Prize £4000
– Best Short Story Award – Prize £4000
– Plymouth University Best Young Writer aged 15 -18 Award – Prize £2000
– Best Primary Carer Voice Award – Prize £2000

All funds raised by the Creative Writing Competition will go towards placing Poets-in-Residence in Memory Cafes around the UK to work with people living with memory loss. This project is delivered in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, Plymouth University and the Poetry Archive.

Open for Entries: 9am Monday 1st July 2016
Closing for Entries: 5pm Friday 20th January 2017
We are looking for your poem or short story on the theme of MEMORIES. You can use any form and any subject which relates to our theme. You may enter as many times as you wish.
Each entry must consist of:
• A completed Entry Form
• A copy of your poem or short story on separate sheets for each entry
• The entry fee.
All funds raised will go towards placing Poets-in-Residence in Memory Cafes around the UK to work with people living with memory loss. This project is delivered in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, Plymouth University and the Poetry Archive.
Word Limit for entries:
• Max 100 lines for a poem
• Max 1500 words for your short story
Format for entries:
Type and format your poem and/or short story entry as per the following instructions:
For your Poem please:
• Type your entries to ensure we can clearly read them
• Type in English
• Use a clear easily readable font (e.g. Arial or Helvetica), in minimum 12pt, black
• Use double spaced text
• Number your pages
• Max 100 lines
For your Short Story please:
• Type your entries to ensure we can clearly read them
• Type in English
• Use a clear easily readable font (e.g. Arial or Helvetica), in minimum 12pt, black
• Use double spaced lines
• Number your pages
• Max 1500 words
Please print and send a completed entry form (downloadable below) with each poem or short story you are submitting as we will give each entry a separate code. This is the only place where your name should appear; all entries are judged anonymously so please do not include your name on your poem or short story.
Entries that carry identification apart from on the entry form cover sheet will be disqualified.
Electronic submissions will not be entered into the competition.
Your poems and short stories will be read by a family audience. All genres and forms are welcome. All entries should be suitable for publication on the National Memory Day which has an audience of all ages.
Entry Fees:
All funds raised from entry fees to this competition will be invested in the Memory Café Poetry project which places Poets-in-Residence with Memory Cafes provided by the Alzheimer’s Society. Poets will work with people living with memory loss to recite poetry to stimulate and share memories.
• Entry fee is £3 per first entry and £2 for all subsequent entries which are entered at the same time.
• All fees payable in pounds sterling.
There is no limit to the amount of entries provided the appropriate fees are paid and all entries are clearly stated on a separate Entry Form for each poem or short story entered.
You can pay entry fees in the following ways:
1) By Cheque: Fees are payable by cheque in £ Sterling only. Cheques must be from a UK bank and should be payable to Literature Works with the sender’s name and address on the back.
2) By Direct Bank Transfers: Please add a payment reference to your bank transfer and also add this to your Entry Form so we can tie the two together. Transfers to be made to:
Account Name: Literature Works
Sort Code: 40-52-40
Account Number: 00024882
Remember to add your payment reference to the Entry Form too.
3) Via Online payment at Box Office: Please visit https://peninsula-arts.cloudvenue.co.uk/ and select the National Memory Day Competition link to make your payment online. Once you have made your payment you will receive a confirmation email with a payment reference number. Please ensure you add this number to your entry form.
All Entries (completed entry form + typed poem and/or short story) must be sent to:
Literature Works
National Memory Day Creative Writing Competition
c/o Plymouth University
R1, Roland Levinsky Building
Drake’s Circus
PLYMOUTH
PL4 8AA
Please ensure you use the correct postage. Literature Works is unable to collect submissions that do not have the correct postage and these will be returned to the Post Office.
Entries will not be returned so please keep your own copies. All submissions are shredded at competition closing and recycled.
No corrections can be made after submission, nor fees refunded after entry.
If you require acknowledgement of receipt of your postal entry please enclose a stamped addressed postcard marked ‘My National Memory Day Competition HAS ARRIVED!’ and we will send this back to you.
Eligibility:
The National Memory Day Creative Writing Competition is open to anyone aged 15 and over writing in English.
Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been previously published in print or online, or been placed in any other writing competition.
The poems and short stories submitted must be original, fictional, and entirely the author’s own work and not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party and not be defamatory of any living person or corporate body and be suitable for a general audience when published on the National Memory Day website. Entries must be in the entrant’s own name.
The Award is not open to employees or trustees of Alzheimer’s Society, Literature Works, Plymouth University or the Poetry Archive or their direct family members.
Winners:
The winners and runners up will be informed by telephone by Friday 28th April 2017 and the winners will be publicly announced on National Memory Day May 18th 2017.
Winners must agree to publicity of their name and publication of their winning entry. They must be able to provide a photograph and short biography of themselves for inclusion in this announcement.
Please note that winners cannot be paid their expenses to attend any prize giving event.
All entries are guaranteed to be read twice by a dedicated team of readers.
No written feedback will be given on any of the entries other than the 1st Prize winner in any category. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome of the competition by the judges, Alzheimer’s Society, Literature Works, the Poetry Archive or Plymouth University at any time.
Worldwide copyright of each entry remains with the author, but Literature Works will retain the right to publish winning entries online and in future promotional material to promote the Nationam Memory Day Creative Writing Competition and the Memory Café Poetry project.
By submitting a story or poem for this Competion the entrant hereby acknowledges and agrees that the winning entries:
• May be reproduced on the National Memory Day website in text and/or audio
• Used in print on any National Memory Day promotional material
If the winners go on to find other outlets to publish their poems or short stories we will be delighted!
The judging:
All entries will be read and judged by an initial team of readers.
A shortlist will be prepared for the final judging.
Judging panels will be made up of professional writers, academics and poets who are leaders in their field.
The winning writer will be contacted personally by email or by telephone.
The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
The judging will be fair and independent.
The judges’ decision is final.
The Prizes:
The categories for entry are:
– Best Poem Award – Prize £4000
– Best Short Story Award – Prize £4000
– Best Young Writer aged 15 -18 Award – Prize £2000
– Best Primary Carer Voice Award – Prize £2000
Agreement:
Entrants will be deemed to have accepted to observe these guidelines without reservation and to have agreed to be bound by them when entering this competition. These rules and the entry submitted in accordance with them shall constitute a contract governed by the exclusive laws and the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. Entries which contravene these guidelines will be disqualified and fees will not be returned.

DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM (PDF)