Do you love to tell a good story? Are you imaginative? Do you have the urge to put pen to paper?
Entry to the 2019 Prescot Festival Short Story Competition is FREE and open to non-professional writers of ALL AGES living in Merseyside and Halton. This year’s theme is MAGIC, MYTH & MYSTERY. The word cloud above is also full of ideas to kick-start your story.
The deadline is 31 May 2019, and there’s a £100 prize for the winner, so start writing!
2019 Prescot Festival Short Story Competition Full Rules
1. To enter, you must live in one of the following six boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Halton, Wirral or Liverpool. You must not have had a piece of fictional writing professionally published, ie, in return for payment. There are no age restrictions. Only one entry per person is allowed.
2. The story you submit must be inspired in some way by the following theme: MAGIC, MYTH & MYSTERY. It is your choice how to interpret the theme. The story must be your own original work of fiction (no biography, poetry or nonfiction), unpublished, in English, and with no more than 1,000 words. There is no minimum word count.
3. Print or type your story on A4 paper in size 12 font. Include a page number and the title of the story in the header or footer of each page, but do not include your name or any identifying details on any of the pages. Include a separate title page containing the following information: Full name, address, telephone number, email address, title of story.
4. The closing date for the competition is Friday 31 May 2019. All entries must be received by then. Send your entry to: Prescot Festival Short Story Competition, 12 Earle Avenue, Roby, L36 4JP.
5. A panel of judges will read the stories, whose writers remain anonymous, and decide a winner. The judges’ decision is final. They may award runner-up prizes at their discretion.
6. The winner will receive a prize of £100, to be awarded in person at Prescot Parish Church, Church Street, Prescot, L34 1LA, at 7.30pm on Sunday 30 June 2019 (Festival Finale), or shortly afterwards by post if they cannot attend. The winner will be notified before the event, and their name posted to the festival website on or shortly after 1 July 2019.
7. You retain full copyright of your story, but by submitting it, you give the Prescot Festival permission to republish it online and/or in print, naming you as author.
10 Comment(s)
A query. Does the 1,000 word limit include the title?
Hi, Richard. Thanks for your query. The title does not count towards the 1,000-word limit.
Hi, would I be eligible to enter the story competition, I live in Garswood and we some times come under St Helens, sometimes Wigan. Thanks, Helen.
Hi, Helen. Garswood is within the St Helens borough, so it counts. Thanks for checking!
Hi,
I live in Billinge which hopefully is included?
Also, is it permitted to make reference to (and quote) a children’s poem within the story?
Many thanks
Hi, Sue.
Billinge is within St Helens borough, so you qualify. What you described is fine as long as it’s clear you are quoting, referencing or alluding it as part of your own story rather than passing it off as your own work (which I can see from your question is not what you’re doing)!
Hello there.
I would like to enter a story. In January I had some poems published in an Anthology, it was as a result of completing a writing course and I wasn’t paid or anything. (although the publication is on sale but the proceeds go to a local charity)Just wanted to check if it is ok for me to still enter?
Thanks
Thanks for your query, Debbie. We reread the rules to be on the safe side, and we specifically define ‘professionally published’ as ‘in return for payment,’ so as long as you received no payment, you’re fine.
What are the results of the 2019 competition?
Hi, Kenneth. Judging is still taking place. The winner will be notified privately in the next couple of weeks, to be announced publicly at the Prescot Festival Finale on Sunday 30 June.
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