Word Factory Apprentice Award

Posted January 24, 2018

is seeking four emerging writers to be individually mentored by leading authors, for FREE* as part of our renowned Word Factory Apprentice Award. The chosen writers will be talented, supportive of our inclusive ethos and willing to give their time to participating in our activities. They will have access to the Word Factory events and masterclasses – a programme offering creative inspiration, writer development and a unique community of supportive writers. They will also be invited to read their work with their mentor at a special Word Factory event. They will also be given a year long membership of the Society of Authors with alll the benefits and support of that organisation.

Our apprentice alumnae have achieved industry recognition including publication with independent and mainstream publishers such as Salt and Faber; awards and shortlistings including the Guardian BAME prize, Bath Flash Fiction Prize and Wasafiri prize; reviewing for journals and publications including the TLS, Economist and New Statesman.

The award is offered to talented authors on the way to their first collection of short stories or beginning to send work out for publication. We are committed to the development of our apprentices in the long-term. In exchange, we look for individuals willing to support other writers and be part of the growing team.

The 2018 Word Factory Mentors

Our 2018/19 mentors bring a vast range of experience to the award – plus a passionate commitment to the literary and social values of the Word Factory. We are delighted to announce that they are: BBC National Short Story Award-winner KJ Orr, Courttia Newland, Tom Lee and for the Northern Apprentice, Jenn Ashworth.

Apprenticeship Application 2018

We are seeking four emerging writers to be individually mentored by leading authors, for FREE* as part of our renowned Word Factory Apprentice Award. The chosen writers will be talented, supportive of our inclusive ethos and willing to give their time to participating in our activities.

They will have access to the Word Factory events and masterclasses – a programme offering creative inspiration, writer development and a unique community of supportive writers. They will also be invited to read their work with their mentor at a special Word Factory event. All winners will also receive free membership to the renowned Society of Authors.

The award is now in its fifth year and we are delighted to announce a new 2018/19 partnership with the Northern Writers’Awards and New Writing North. One of our four places will be open to a writer living in the North who will also be offered a bursary to attend events in London, developmental support and access to other opportunities offered by New Writing North.

Please follow the link to the map which defines the North for purposes of this award: BOUNDARIES OF THE NORTH. And see www.northernwritersawards.com from November 16 2017 for full details of the Northern Word Factory apprenticeship, eligibility and how to apply.

Applications will be judged by the Word Factory and Sunday Times EFG short story award founder Cathy Galvin and associate director Paul McVeigh, winner of the Polari First Book Prize. The Northern Apprentice applications will be judged through the Northern Writers’ Awards, in consultation with the Word Factory and Jenn Ashworth.

The Word Factory is London based but this is no barrier to working with writers from across the UK. We are committed to opening the award to writers with no access to literary mentorship and from communities who are often excluded.

At least one place a year is held open for talented BAME writers.

Please Note: the scheme is not suitable for anyone with novels or collections already published or under contract (self-published and non-fiction books may apply). Also, application is only open to residents of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Application is simple:

If you DO NOT live in the north of England— you will need to send us two files: your best 2,000 word story (or part of a story) and 500 words explaining both how the scheme will benefit you and what skills and commitment you will bring to the Word Factory. In the past, our apprentices have offered some of the following: social media skills; helping us run events; creating a flash fiction prize; supporting festivals. In your letter please tell us where you live and whether you have a BAME background.

What you do:

Use the link below to apply and pay a £20 admin fee.

Full details on how to send us your files will be included in your receipt.

Lastly, email us your story and supporting letter.

*Unwaged applicants can still apply. Please send your story, covering letter and short explanation of your circumstances direct to Paul McVeigh at paul@thewordfactory.tv

If you live in the North of England:

Follow this link: http://www.northernwritersawards.com

Important Dates:

Applications CLOSE on February 1st 2018.

WINNERS INFORMED May 2018.

Announcements at the Word Factory and Northern Writers’ Awards June 2018.

Mentorship completes March 2019.

Due to the high numbers of applications expected, we will not be contacting you if your application has been unsuccessful. Good luck! Look forward to seeing you in 2018.

Contact for Information.

Application Fee: £20

Deadline: 02/01/2018

Apply here.

Short Fiction Prize 2017

Posted January 3, 2017

Filed under Lit mag, short story prize

Short Fiction is delighted to announce the 2017 short story prize is now open for entries. First prize is £500 plus publication, and the runner-up receives £100. Third prize receives a place on our online masterclass. Entry fee £7 per story. The deadline is March 31st. Click here for details of how to enter. Good luck.

And why not get your literary year off to a fabulous start and treat yourself to our online short story masterclass, taught by award-winning authors and editors. Study from anywhere.

We have a few copies of Issue 10 left, which includes Nick Holdstock, Kit de Waal, Colin Barrett, Ríona Judge McCormack, Inderjeet Mani, plus our competition winner, Michelle Coyne.

Plus there’s online fiction and interviews with some of the world’s best writers.

From all at Short Fiction, we wish you a lovely and literary 2017.

New Writing Maps Writing Contest and Prizes

Posted December 20, 2014

Filed under call for submissions, Competitions, literary magazine, short story prize, writing prompt

“Life is hell, but at least there are prizes.” Janet Frame’s story, “Prizes”, is one of the best you’ll ever read about prizes! You can listen to Miranda July read it as a New Yorker fiction podcast here.

And talking of prizes…

We’re giving away two subscriptions to Granta magazine for one year (4 issues) to the winners of this month’s Writing Maps Writing Contest.

The prompt for December’s Writing Contest is: Write a piece about a prize you won or wanted to win, or almost won, or dreamt of winning. Or maybe you regret having won a prize. Or you were a runner up, or you didn’t turn up for the big prize-giving ceremony. As always, you can write this as fiction or creative non-fiction, a short story, a graphic story, a snippet of memoir or a piece of flash fiction, a poem or a prose poem. In 150 words.

The two winners will receive a subscription to Granta magazine. In addition to that, the first 3 submissions to arrive will each receive a pack of 3 Writing Maps; and because we’re great believers in the last-minute submission, the last 3 entries will also receive a pack of 3 Writing Maps.

Please make sure to view our full guidelines here. In brief, the main rules are:

Entry is free. One entry per person. All genres welcome. All writers welcome. 150 words max.

Deadline is 27 December 2014.

The two winning entries will be published in The A3 Review, Issue #2.

Good luck, good writing and have a creative and peaceful festive season!

PS. There’s 50% off all single Writing Maps till the 1st of January. Just enter the discount code SANTA at checkout.

The Survival Kit for Writers & a New Contest

Posted November 15, 2014

Filed under call for submissions, Competitions, short story prize, writing prompt

This month’s Writing Maps Writing Contest coincides with the official launch of The Survival Kit for Writers.

The prompt for November’s Writing Contest is: Write a piece called “How to Procrastinate”. We all find ways to avoid writing! Teach us how to do it in style, or slothfully, or in never-before-imagined ways. Take inspiration from your own modes of procrastination, or from the techniques of others. Check out Lorrie Moore’s book Self-Help for great examples of “How To…” stories. Write your “How to Procrastinate” as a short story, a graphic story, a snippet of memoir, a poem, or a prose poem. In 150 words.

The Survival Kit for Writers includes 3 Writing Maps, a Notebook, a pen, some postcards and stickers, and a bar of organic chocolate by award-winning chocolate-makers, Seed & Bean.

Please make sure to view our full guidelines here. In brief, the main rules are:

Entry is free. One entry per person. All genres welcome. All writers welcome. 150 words max.

Deadline is 22 November 2014.

The two winning entries will be published in The A3 Review, Issue #2. Winners will also receive The Survival Kit for Writers.

Good luck and good writing!

Writeidea Prize longlist is announced

Posted September 8, 2014

Filed under Competitions, News, short story prize

Twenty stories have been longlisted for the inaugural Writeidea Prize, from over 300 entries.

The titles of the longlisted stories are available on the Writeidea website. Writer names are still under wraps until judging is complete.

Top prize is £500, plus five finalists’ prizes of £100 each. There is a local prize of £500 for the best entry by a Tower Hamlets writer.

The shortlist of six will be announced on Monday 13 October, and the winner revealed at the Writeidea Festival on Sunday 16 November.

Congratulations to all on the list.

More details at www.writeideafestival.org Twitter @writeideafest

Colin Barrett wins the 2014 Frank O’Connor Award

Posted July 11, 2014

Filed under Competitions, News, short story collection, short story festival, short story prize

FRANK O’CONNOR INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY AWARD WINNER 2014

World’s Most Valuable Short Story Collection Prize Celebrates Its 10^th Year

The Munster Literature Centre is pleased to announce that, in its tenth year, the winner of the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award is Irish author Colin Barrett for his debut collection Young Skins. The €25,000 award is the single most lucrative in the world for a collection of short stories and is named after the writer whom W.B. Yeats described as the Irish Chekhov. The award has been hugely influential in raising the profile and esteem of the short story form in recent years. Previous winners have included Haruki Murakami, Edna O’Brien, Ron Rash and Yiyun Li amongst others.

The award is co-sponsored by Cork City Council and also by The School of English, University College Cork and was founded to encourage publishers to issue more collections of stories by individual authors – and to acknowledge Cork’s special relationship with the short story: not only Frank O’Connor but also William Trevor, Elizabeth Bowen and Sean O’Faolain hail from Cork.

The international jury for the award consisted of Irish poet Mathew Sweeney, Anglo-Canadian novelist Alison MacLeod and American novelist Manuel Gonzales. Patrick Cotter, Artistic Director of the Munster Literature Centre selects the jury and acts as non-voting chairman.

Explaining the judges’ decision MacLeod said of Barrett’s début ‘How dare a debut writer be this good? Young Skins has all the hallmarks of an instant classic. Barrett’s prose is exquisite but never rarefied. His characters — the damaged, the tender-hearted and the reckless — are driven by utterly human experiences of longing. His stories are a thump to the heart, a mainline surge to the core. His vision is sharp, his wit is sly, and the stories in this collection come alive with that ineffable thing – soul.’

The book was first published in Ireland by the Stinging Fly Press in 2013, and has been published in the UK this year by Jonathan Cape – it is set to be published in the United States by Grove Atlantic in spring of 2015. The book will be published in translation in the Netherlands by De Bezige Bij, in November 2014 and in France, Editions Rivages in 2015.

Patrick Cotter, Award Director said: “I’m grateful we can continue to offer this lucrative award in difficult economic times. Huge kudos to Cork City Council and UCC for supporting this unique award into its tenth year. As a life-long lover of the short story form I’m delighted the award is going to a brilliant book, but as an Irishman I can take special pride that a book by a new, young, genius Irish writer can hold its own against the best in the world and win the award in this milestone year.”

Colin Barrett grew up in Mayo and studied English at UCD. After graduating he worked for several years with a mobile phone provider in its Dublin headquarters, continuing to write in his spare time. Ultimately, he left his job to do an MA in Creative Writing at University College Dublin. In 2009 he was awarded the Penguin Ireland Prize and he received bursaries from the Arts Council in 2011 and 2013. Young Skins is Colin’s first book. His stories have previously featured in The Stinging Fly magazine, as well as in the anthologies, Sharp Sticks, Driven Nails (Stinging Fly Press, 2010) and Town and Country (Faber and Faber, 2013).

He is thrilled and surprised to learn he won the award “Consider me knocked splendidly sideways by the news. It’s a bewilderment and honour to be awarded the 2014 Frank O’Connor prize. The shortlist was superb, and the role call of previous winners – including living legends like Edna O’Brien and Haruki Murakami – is humbling. Many thanks to those who helped me along the way, especially the Stinging Fly Press, who first published Young Skins and were instrumental in its creation, and a deep thanks to the judges, the organizers, and to the Munster Literature Centre for continuing to care about the short story”

The award will be presented to Barrett in September at the closing of the Cork International Short Story Festival which is the world’s oldest annual short story festival.

Writing Maps June Contest and Pack of Notebooks

Posted June 21, 2014

Filed under blog, Competitions, literary magazine, short story prize, writing prompt

Writing Maps, the illustrated posters with creative writing prompts and story ideas, launches its 4th monthly Writing Contest. The June contest coincides with the official launch of the Writing Maps Pack of 5 Notebooks, and this month’s two winners will receive a complete pack of notebooks, along with publication in A3, a new fold-out literary magazine. The first issue will appear in September 2014.

The challenge is to write a 150-word piece in response to the Prompt of the Month. June’s Writing Maps Writing Contest opens on 21st June 2014. Deadline is: 28 June 2014. Did you know we’re the quickest contest in town – one week between announcement and deadline!

The prompt for June’s Writing Contest is a title. Write a story, poem, graphic story or snippet of memoir called “Ode to My Notebook”. For some extra inspiration, check out Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to My Suit” or Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons. As always, we’re looking for pieces that are quirky and intense, that give us a glimpse into private worlds, and that make us feel nicely awkward. In 150 words, show your notebook (or a character’s notebook) some love!

Please make sure to view our full guidelines here or on the Writing Maps website by clicking here. In brief, the main rules are:

Entry is free. One entry per person.
All genres welcome. All writers welcome.
150 words max.
Deadline is 28 June 2014, which is just a few days from now.
The two winning entries will be published in A3, the Writing Maps Journal.

International Short Story Competitions

Posted June 13, 2014

Filed under Competitions, literary magazine, short story festival, short story prize

Annually the Munster Literature Centre, publishers of Southword Journal, hosts two international short story competitions: the Séan Ó Faoláin Prize for a single short story and the Frank O’Connor Award for a collection of short stories.

The deadline for submissions for the 2014 Séan Ó Faoláin Competition is 31 July, and is open to any unpublished work of short fiction in the English language. Winners will be published in a journal which has previously showcased Haruki Murakami, Colm Tóibín, Patrick Galvin, Richard Ford and Tania Hershman amongst many other respected literary figures. The winner of the first prize will receive €2,000 (approx $2760/£1640), publication in the literary journal Southword, AND a week-long residency at Anam Cara Writer’s and Artist’s Retreat. Second Prize is €500 and publication in Southword. Four other shortlisted entries will be selected for publication in Southword and receive a publication fee of €120. *Currency exchange amounts via XE.com, calculated April 2014.

The Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition is an annual short story competition dedicated to one of Ireland’s most accomplished story writers and theorists. If the winner comes to Cork to collect their prize, we will lavish them with hotel accommodation, meals, drinks and VIP access to the literary stars at the Cork International Short Story Festival (16 – 20 September 2014). This year’s judge is Joyce Russell, author of Bloodlines (Mercier Press) and was winner of the 2006 Seán Ó Faoláin Competition. More information, including submission guidelines, may be found on our website or via our Facebook page.

The Munster Literature Centre is pleased to announce the SHORTLIST for the 2014 Frank O’Connor international Short Story Award (in alphabetical order by author surname below):

Young Skins by Colin Barrett (IRE)
All the Rage by A.L. Kennedy (UK)
Redeployment by Phil Klay (USA)
Leaving the Sea by Ben Marcus (USA)
Bark by Lori Moore (USA)
The Isle of Youth by Laura Van Den Berg (USA)

This year’s judges are Matthew Sweeney (IRE), Alison MacLeod (UK/CAN) and Manuel Gonzales (USA). The longlist, published Monday 9 June, is also available to view.

The Cork City – Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award is an annual award of €25,000 and is currently the world’s richest prize for a short story collection. The award is in memory of the late Frank O’Connor, one of the world’s most renowned short story writers. The award, organised by the Munster Literature Centre and funded by Cork City Council, is presented in O’Connor’s hometown of Cork, Ireland, at the end of the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Festival. The prize is awarded to the author of the book judged to be the best collection of stories published in English for the first time anywhere in the world in the twelve months between a first publication date of between July 1st of the prior year and June 30th of the current year. If a translated book wins, the purse is shared equally between the author and translator. More information, including submission guidelines, may be found on our website or via our Facebook page.

Writing Maps: May Contest and Box of Maps

Posted May 15, 2014

Filed under Competitions, News, short story prize, writing prompt

Writing Maps, the illustrated posters with writing inspiration and story ideas, launches its 3rd monthly Writing Contest. The May contest coincides with the launch of the Writing Maps Box Set, and this month’s two winners will receive the box set, along with publication in A3, a new fold-out literary magazine to be published every six months. The first issue will appear in September 2014.

The challenge is to write a 150-word piece in response to the Prompt of the Month. May’s Writing Maps Writing Contest opens 17 May 2014. Deadline is: 24 May 2014. Yes, we’re the quickest contest in town! Click here to visit the site for submission guidelines and the May prompt.

April’s prompt was inspired by the new Write Up Your Street: A Neighbourhood Writing Map. The prompt was: Write about something someone told you about your neighbourhood: a rumour, an urban myth, an event, a local hero/villain, a landmark or a building that’s no longer there. Tell the story in their voice or your own, or the voice of a fictional narrator. The winning entries were: Mark Bicton’s “Grave Robbers” and Francesca Brooks’ “I Came to Find You”.

Two Exciting New Story Competitions From Kingston University

Posted May 1, 2014

Filed under Competitions, short story prize

1. Kingston Writing School Hilary Mantel International Short Story Competition

The twice Man Booker Prize winning author, Hilary Mantel, will be judge for this major new competition.

First Prize £3000 and two Runners Up Prizes of £500

5000 words maximum.

2. Kingston University Press Bonnie Greer Stories to Read Aloud Competition

Alongside the international short story competition, Kingston University Press are launching a competition for Kingston residents and workers, and writers associated with the university and the Writing School. The competition will celebrate stories that work when read aloud as well as on the page. The award-winning writer, critic and Chancellor of Kingston University, Bonnie Greer, will pick the winner from shortlisted writers reading out their work.

First Prize £1000 and two Runners Up Prizes of £250

2000 Words maximum

Both competitions are open for entries from May 1 to June 30.

Winning stories and shortlisted stories will be published in two competition anthologies, and winning writers will have the opportunity to have their work considered for publication by Kingston University Press.

Please visit here to find further details and to submit your stories.

Brittle Star Competition – Now enter online!

Posted March 13, 2014

Filed under Competitions, literary magazine, short story prize

The entries to our very first short fiction and poetry competition are coming in thick and fast.

We’ve had a number of inquiries from writers wanting to submit online (because their banks no longer issue chequebooks) and we’ve now found a way to do this. With this in mind, we’ve decided to extend the deadline to midnight 21st March. And we’ve put up a funky calendar to help count it down – never mind measuring our lives with coffee spoons, we’re measuring it with thick black numbers on a white background!

To enter online go to www.brittlestar.org.uk/competition/online-entry/ and follow the instructions (don’t forget to read the competition rules). You can pay by Paypal or by card.

You’re still more than welcome to enter by post; all you need to do is download the competition entry form, fill it in, add your work and send it off to us.

And remember, subscribers get their second entry free – so subscribe today! A huge Thank You from Brittle Star and lots of Good Luck to everyone who enters.

The Brighton Prize

Posted March 9, 2014

Filed under Competitions, live lit, short story anthology, short story prize

The Brighton Prize is a new annual short story prize run by Rattle Tales, Brighton’s interactive live literature night. They are looking for fresh interesting new writing that will keep the attention of a live audience and get them talking. The short stories must be between 1000 and 2000 words long and there is no restriction on subject or genre.

The Brighton Prize began with the aim of finding exciting, challenging new writers and to bring their work to the Brighton stage. The first prize is worth £400 and the two runners up are £50 each. The shortlist will be judged by two Brighton based authors. Bethan Roberts, author of The Pools, The Good Plain Cook, and Mother Island (out June 2014) and Laura Lockington, author of The Cornish Affair, Cupboard Love and Stargazy Pie. All three finalists will be invited to read their stories at Rattles Tales’s Brighton Festival Fringe show on May 14th. In addition the top ten shortlist will be offered publication in their anthology. The closing date is 1st April 2014 and the entry fee is £6. Visit www.brightonprize.com for more details.

ShortStops

Getting excited about short stories in the UK & Ireland – in print, online & live!!

Category Archives: short story prize