More Writing competitions

Erotic Short Story competition. We're looking for well-written erotic stories (nothing too graphic please) for publication on our new adult toy-store website. You could win a prize voucher to spend on any product on our website, plus become a published author. Entries to be no longer than 2,000 words and must be in English. Please send submissions by email only, as a Word document to submissions@kinkyblue.co.uk. Closing date for entries is 31st July 2009 and winning entries will be published on the website by 31st August 2009. For more information and competition rules, please go to www.kinkyblue.co.uk.

White Star Cruises have just launched their huge competition to win a luxury cruise on the Queen Mary 2. It’s a four night cruise that is all inclusive and ports include Southampton, Zeebrugge for Bruges, Rotterdam for Amsterdam and Cherboug. It departs on 28^th May 2010. All you have to do is go to the competition page and fill in the form telling them what you would like to see on your dream luxury cruise (minimum 100 words). They will then judge the best entry and announce the winner on 30^th September 2009. The closing date for the competition is 31^st July 2009. Link: http://www.whitestarcruises.com/win-a-luxury-cruise-with-white-star-cruises.phtml

The Manchester Fiction Prize 2009. First prize: £10,000. Deadline for entries: 7th August 2009. Entry fee: £15. Under the direction of Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University is launching The Manchester Fiction Prize - a new literary competition celebrating excellence in creative writing. The Manchester Fiction Prize is open internationally and will award a cash prize of £10,000* to the writer of the best short story submitted. The competition is open to entrants aged 16 or over; there is no upper age limit. A bursary for study at MMU will also be awarded to an entrant aged 18-25 as part of the Manchester Young Writer of the Year Award*. Eligible entrants are asked to indicate on the entry form if they would like to be considered for the Manchester Young Writer of the Year Award in addition to the main prize. All entrants are asked to submit a complete short story of up to 5,000 words in length. The story can be on any subject, and written in any style, but must be new work, not published or submitted for consideration elsewhere. The competition will be judged by distinguished novelists and short story writers Sarah Hall, M. John Harrison and Nicholas Royle. The Manchester Fiction Prize celebrates the substantial cultural and literary achievements of Manchester, building on the work of MMU's Writing School and enhancing the city's reputation as one of Europe’s most adventurous and creative spaces. The prizes will be awarded at a gala ceremony, held as part of the 2009 Manchester Literature Festival. You can enter online by going to: http://www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk. If you would like a printed entry pack for postal submission, or if you have any queries, please contact: James Draper, Project Manager: Writing School, Department of English, Manchester Metropolitan University. Telephone: +44 (0) 161 247 1787. E-mail: j.draper@mmu.ac.uk. *Terms and Conditions apply. See http://www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk for full details.

The HappenStance short story competition. Judge for 2009 is Janice Gallowa, one of Scotland's best-known, most versatile writers. Prizes: 1st £150, 2nd £75, 3rd £50, plus publication in the 2009 HappenStance short story anthology. Online entry fee: £5 per story, £6 online (entry includes free critique). See website for details of postal entry, or send SAE to: Story Competition Administrator, 2 Parkes Road, Torrington EX38 7NW. Closing date: Saturday, 9th August 2009. Stories must be in English or Scots, maximum length 2500 words. No theme. email: story@happenstancepress.com. Visit www.happenstancepress.com for further details.

NAME OF COMPETITION: I’m not an egg and won’t be beaten!!! Deadline: 28th August 2009. Full details: www.ascacounsellingandtherapyservices.co.uk. E-mail: info@asca.me.uk. Short story and/or poems, maximum 500 words. 1st prize £100, second prize £50, third prize £25. Judging by Abuse Counsellors and Survivors from a range of backgrounds. Top 100 to be published in an anthology which will be on sale from early 2010. £5 per entry or three for £10. Names, pseudonyms or anonymous can be used if published.

WELLINGTON TOWN COUNCIL SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2009. The competition is open to persons regardless of age or location. There is no theme. Entries should be typed on (one side of) A4 paper - double spacing please - and not exceed 4,500 words. Entries must be accompanied by a cheque, postal order or International Money Order for a minimum of £3.00 Sterling (although a greater donation would naturally be appreciated). These should be made payable to “Wellington Town Council”. Due to sponsorship by the Town Council and businesses ALL entry fees collected will go to the Mayor’s Charity Appeal. Although every care will be taken of manuscripts, Wellington Town Council, its Members, employees or agents cannot be responsible for damage or loss, however caused. All manuscripts are submitted at the risk of the author. Entries without a S.A.E. will not be returned. It is recommended that authors retain a copy of their entry. Each entry must be the work and the property of the person submitting it and it must not have been previously published in any form. Writers groups or writers classes submitting 15 or more entries can offer a reduced donation of £2.00 per manuscript, should they so wish. Authors submitting manuscripts to Wellington Town Council do so on the understanding that the Council has the right to publish any story by whatever means it considers appropriate. The closing date for entries is 31st August 2009. Winners should be notified before the end of October 2009. The decision of the judges is final. No correspondence will be entered into, although details of the winners can be made available – S.A.E. please. First Prize overall £150, Second Prize overall £100, Third Prize overall £75. Best Story submitted by a Shropshire resident: First Prize:Glass Trophy – retained by winner.

Call for Writing and Art Entries. The Aesthetica Creative Works Competition seeks entries of Fiction, Poetry and Artwork. Three winners will be awarded £500 each. All finalists will be published in the Aesthetica Creative Works Annual, in stores December 2009. Entry to the 2009 Aesthetica Creative Works Competition is £10. This allows you to submit up to five poems, two short stories, or five images. Closing date to receive Creative Works is 31st August 2009. For further details please visit www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm. If you would like to read more about the successes of last year’s competition please visit www.aestheticamagazine.blogspot.com.

Hastings Writers' Group Legend Writing Awards 2009. Short stories 2000 words max. Prizes: 1st £500, 2nd £250, 3rd £100, 3 x £50. Entry fees: £7 first entry, £5 subsequent entries. And, new this year, Flash fiction 100 words exactly (excluding title). Prizes: 1st £50, 2nd £30, 3rd £20, 3 x £10. Entry fees: £3.00 each. Closing date: 31st August 2009. Anthology of last year's winners 'Six of the Best' available at £4. Rules/Entry Form (essential): www.legendwritingaward.co.uk or SAE to LWA, 39 Emmanuel Road, Hastings TN34 3LB. Bulk entry forms post-free to writing groups on request. e-mail: hastingswritersgroup@googlemail.com

Earlyworks Press Competitions. Short Story £100 1st prize. Closing Sept 09. Also regular web-based competitions – poetry, flash fiction, short story, genre and art challenges. At the moment, we have a 100 word flash fiction competition – 1st prize £50, closing 31st July. and ‘Myth and Legend’ – poems or stories on the theme of ‘Old Magic in a New Age’, 1st prize £50, closing 30th April. SAE for details to Earlyworks Press, Creative Media Centre, 45 Robertson Street, Hastings Sussex TN34 1HL or visit the competitions page on the website at www.earlyworkspress.co.

Hero or Anti-Hero? What does it take to be a hero? Do you have to battle against a terrible foe to rescue the love of your life, do you need to be kind to kittens or gentle with the weak? Do you need to be able to ride without a saddle and fight aliens with your eyes closed? For our new competition, we want you to focus on personality, in particular your hero or anti-hero. With a strong emphasis on your main character or characters, give us a good storyline, inhabited by believable and vibrant people. Decide whether your main character is a hero or an anti-hero. Can a fictional character who gains a life of their own ever be one thing or the other? If they are a true villain, with no redeeming qualities, what is it about them that makes us love them so much? This is a new creative writing competition, with publication and a cash sum as the first prize. Also offered is a free week's worth of our creative writing courses for each entrant. The coursework can either be sent to yourself or someone else, as a gift. The entry fee is GBP4.00 per entry. Closing date: 30th September, 2009. Full details of the competition can be found at: http://www.winterwitch.co.uk/hero.html

The WriteVoice 2009 Story competition is to write a short story of not more than 7000 words and is open to anybody over the age of 16. The theme for this year is 'Revenge'. Closing date: 30^th September 2009. Entry fee: £5. Prizes: £250/£100/£25 website: www.writevoice.co.uk

The Longworth Editors Annual Short Story Competition (http://www.longwortheditors.com/comp.html) is open to entries from around the world. The stories should be loosely based on the theme of ‘exchange’ and can be no longer than 3,000 words. The top prize is £500. Deadline: 30th September.

This is a new creative writing competition, with publication and a cash sum as the first prize. Also offered this time is a free week's worth of our creative writing courses for each entrant. The coursework can either be sent to yourself or someone else, as a gift. The entry fee is GBP4.00 per entry. Full details of the competition can be found at: http://www.winterwitch.co.uk/hero.html

The Write Place students meet at the Mick Jagger Centre in Dartford, Kent. This exciting venue supports a broad range of the arts and our classes are well attended. We cover all forms of creative writing from beginner’s classes through to those who are already published. Speakers regularly visit to update students on the writing world and trips to writing events are frequently attended. Our first writing competition will feature songs from the Rolling Stones and we will enjoy reading every entry. Write a short story with one of the following titles: 19th nervous breakdown, Goats head soup, Get off my cloud. Prizes: First £75.00, Second £50.00, Third £25.00. Cheques or postal orders made payable to The Write Place and posted to: Bobtails, Oliver Road, Swanley, Kent BR8 7DY. Closing date for entries: 30th September 2009.

Summer Shorts Contest A. Short story on the theme: “If only…” Closing date 30th September 2009. Fee £6 ($10 / 7 Euros). 1st prize: £150 ($245 / 175 Euros); 2nd prize £70 ($115 / 80 Euros); plus 3 runner-up prizes of £25 ($40 / 30 Euros) each. Max 5000 words. Open to anyone over the age of 16 years from anywhere. Entries must be in English and not have been previously published. info@storyshorts.co.uk www.storyshorts.co.uk.

Summer Shorts Contest B. Short story on the theme: “Memories.” Closing date 30th September 2009. Fee £6 ($10 / 7 Euros). 1st prize £150 ($245 / 175 Euros); 2nd prize £70 ($115 / 80 Euros); plus 3 runner-up prizes of £25 ($40 / 30 Euros) each. Max 5000 words. Open to anyone over the age of 16 years from anywhere. Entries must be in English and not have been previously published. info@storyshorts.co.uk www.storyshorts.co.uk

Summer Shorts Contest C. Short story on a theme of your own choice. Closing date 31st October 2009. Fee £6 ($10 / 7 Euros); 1st prize £150 ($245 / 175 Euros); 2nd prize £70 ($115 / 80 Euros); plus 3 runner-up prizes of £25 ($40 / 30 Euros) each. Max 5000 words. Open to anyone over the age of 16 years from anywhere. Entries must be in English and not have been previously published. info@storyshorts.co.uk www.storyshorts.co.uk

The Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition. InterAct Reading Service is launching its second short story competition to find a writer in residence. InterAct Reading Service is a registered UK charity that uses professional actors to provide a live and interactive reading service in hospitals and stroke clubs. For further information about the work of InterAct Reading Service please visit our website: www.interactreading.org.

3. The winner of the Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition will receive £2,000 and become InterAct Reading Service’s Writer in Residence for a period of one year. In that capacity the winner will be expected to produce five further short stories.

5. A £10. entry fee is applicable to each story entered. Cheques and postal orders only, made payable to: The InterAct Reading Service.

6. Submissions should be sent by post with a covering letter including the entrant’s name and contact details. The entrants name and contact details must not appear anywhere on the manuscript of the submitted story. Submission is by post only: Short Story Competition, InterAct Reading Service, 4th Floor, Charles House, 375 Kensington High Street, London W14 8QH.

7. While the copyright of any story submitted to the Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition will remain with the author, the submission of a story is done with the understanding that InterAct Reading Service has the right to copy and distribute the story to its actors for use in hospital and stroke club readings.

Disclaimer: Due to the expected volume of entries, the charity is unable to offer individual feedback to entrants. The decision of the judges is final.

New publishing company Red Telephone Books has officially opened its 2009 novel competition. Deadline: 31st December. The winning novel will be published by Red Telephone Books during 2010 - the prize includes editing, design, marketing and distribution, with royalties being paid annually. Runner-up prizes are also offered. Submissions are welcome from any genre. If you are interested in entering the competition, please visit: http://theredtelephone.co.uk/competition.aspx

The Harry Bowling Prize 2010. Entries from unpublished novelists are invited for the Harry Bowling Prize 2010. Entrants must not have published a novel for adults, but may be published in any other field, such as short stories, non-fiction or children’s books. The first prize is £1,000, with a runner up prize of £100. The entry fee is £10. Please post the synopsis and first 5,000 words of your novel, which must be set in London, but can be in any genre and set in any period, to: Margaret James, Administrator, Harry Bowling Prize, 16 St Briac Way, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 5RN. Closing date: 31 March 2010. For further information, rules and an entry form please see the Harry Bowling Prize website at www.harrybowlingprize.net or email mail@margaretjames.com.

The Spinetinglers Short Story Competition. This is a free to enter monthly competition. The closing date is the 15th of every month, as soon as one competition closes the next one opens. Prizes are £100.00 for first place, £50.00 for second place and £25.00 for third, fourth and fifth place. The competition is open worldwide and entries can be made online http://www.spinetinglerspublishing.com/index.php?page=cdetail&id=6

Quarterly short story competition that publishes the top three winners on the short Story Competition website and awards each with a cash prize. For more information see: www.theshortstorycompetition.co.uk

Micro-Fiction Showcase. There are three, month-long competitions, during May. June and July. These competitions are for micro-fiction. Based on last year's Showcase we have extended our definition of Micro-Fiction to allow for up to 60 words for stories and up to eight-lines for poems. The very best entries in each of these categories will be displayed in the online Micro-Fiction Showcase and each month there will be four winners in each category. Each winner will receive a prize of €25 and a copy of the previous year's Fish Anthology, and their entry will appear in the next Fish Anthology. At the end of July, the winning entries from all three monthly competitions will form the final short-list from which one winner will be selected from both the short stories and the poems. These overall winners will receive a further prize of €500 together with a free personal web-site, sponsored by E-Fastnet. All winning entries will appear in the Fish Anthology.

www.spinetinglers.co.uk. Closing date: Monthly. Launched by writers in Northern Ireland to give aspiring horror and dark fiction authors a chance to get their foot on the first rung of the publishing ladder. Every month there will be a competition and the top five stories will be selected and published on the website. The one judged best by their panel will win £50.

www.firstwriter.com's fully searchable database of writing competitions contains details and contact information for writing contests from around the English-speaking world, including dozens which are FREE to enter

Writers' Forum short story competitions. Closing date: Each month. www.writers-forum.com

The David Thomas Charitable Trust Prizes. Closing date: Monthly. Writers News and Writers Magazine run several competitions for the David Thomas Charitable Trust. Story categories include: ghost, adult fairy, love, country, sea, crime, children's. There are several different poetry categories and This Britain in poetry, prose and pictures.

Full details can be found in Writers' News magazine or from The David Thomas Charitable Trust, PO Box 6055, Nairn IV12 4YB. Full details of the Writers' News and Writing Magazines competitions are also available on their website: www.writersnews.co.uk