Our second writing competition was sent out into the big wide world at the launch of issue 37 and, chatty people that we are, we want to tell you all about it.

Two years ago we launched the first competition, with short stories judged by David Constantine and our editor Jacqueline Gabbitas. The response to last year’s competition was wonderful with almost 700 entries and a prize-giving event at the Barbican library attended by the prize-winners and the judges David Constantine and Mimi Khalvati. David said in his introduction: “writers of short stories employ their fictions to try to tell the truth about how we live now.

This year we’re thrilled to have Booker-Prize shortlisted author and story-writer Alison Moore as the main judge. The title story of Alison’s collection, The Pre-War House & Other Stories, won a New Writer novella prize. It was her first novel, The Lighthouse, that was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012, the National Book Awards 2012 (New Writer of the Year), before going on to win the McKitterick Prize in 2013. Her second novel, He Wants, was published in 2014 by Salt.

The Prizes?

Brittle Star publishes short stories and poetry and comes out twice a year, so our competition always reflects this consort of writing forms. With this in mind we’ll be awarding two sets of prizes – one for each writing category – making six prizes in total. The first prize for each category is £250, second is £50 and the third is £25. All winners will be published in Brittle Star and invited to a launch event at the Barbican library in summer. Winners will also receive a copy of the anthology Said and done: New Writing from Brittle Star published by Stonewood Press.

Subscribers get one entry free!

The closing date is 1st March 2015 and entries are already coming in thick and fast. The entry fee is quite modest at £4.50 for the first entry then £3.50 for subsequent ones, and subscribers to Brittle Star get their second entry for FREE. If you’re not yet a subscriber you can subscribe online at www.brittlestar.org.uk or through the entry form when you enter.

Enter online or by post

Have a look at the Rules before entering. Our simple online entry and up-load sytem can be found here.

Entry forms can be downloaded here BrittleStar2016.pdf and sent by post to: 97 Benefield Rd, Oundle, PE8 4EU.

Good Luck!

Last year we had some fantastic entries and the judges really had a tough time deciding on the winners. So, now it’s up to you to put your pens or pencils to paper or your fingers to keyboards and let your creativity flow. Good Luck!

Closing date: 1st March 2016