Saturday, January 31, 2009

Bridport - Already!

The Bridport Prize 2009

International Creative Writing Competition for Short Stories and Poems

The Bridport Prize 2009 website is now open for entries!

The Bridport Prize is the richest open writing competition in the English language -
with £5000 first prize for a short story (of up to 5000 words); and £5000 first
prize for a poem (of up to 42 lines).

The Bridport is also known as a tremendous literary stepping stone - the first
step in the careers of writers such as: Kate Atkinson, Tobias Hill, Carol Ann Duffy
and Helen Dunmore.

Anyone can enter - so long as the work is previously unpublished. It costs £7 per
story or £6 per poem and the closing date is 30th June 2009.

Each year the prize is judged by well known writers - this year we are delighted to have

Ali Smith judging short stories and Jackie Kay judging poetry.

* I wonder how robust your short stories will have to be to get past Ali Smith - yikes!

The 2008 anthology of winning entries is available for just £12 or £15 overseas
(including postage and packing)

2006 & 2007 anthologies available for £7 or £10 overseas (limited amount)


Enter online or download an entry form www.bridportprize.org.uk

10 comments:

Jon M said...

Thanks for the info...might just enter! Can't win it if you're not in it! :-)

Dominic Rivron said...

Might just give it a go too. Thanks for the prompt.

carole said...

All the writers you mention are amongst those that I enjoy reading, but what chance do I have if the likes of yourself are entering...

Barbara, thanks for visiting my blog. I am blogging more than might appear as 'Carole' and 'watermaid' are one and the same person.

Totalfeckineejit said...

These bleddy comps are like hangovers when you swear never ever again, wild horses wouldn't drag me, oh go on then just the one and then another wouldn't harm or one more, then before ye can say'I came 4th in the Paasdy K wosname' yer in the gutter gawking up at the stars wundrin where it allwent wrong?

ComePassion said...

What is a portable garret?

Colin Will said...

Every time these comps come up I think - must enter this time. But then I forget, and by the time I remember the deadline has passed.

Unknown said...

Comepassion, a portable garret is basically me saying that I write as and where I find myself sitting/lying/standing. I've not the luxury of 'a room of one's own' to write in :)

Colin, I'm right with you, that's why I tack things to the walls so that I remember. Mind you, with this one, I'll not be tacking it anywhere yet!

Liz said...

Barbara, thanks for the reminder...thankfully it's a long
way off yet! Must add it to the ever-increasing 'might-do-it' list. : )

Group 8 said...

You have to get through a team of readers before Ali claps eyes on your masterpiece...

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Dear Barbara, I am reading "Stepping Stones" the Faber Book by Dennis O'Driscoll interviewing S.Heaney. It's intense, sober and delightful. You, living in Ireland, can read it feeling much closer than me to the whole atmosphere. It's more than what a normal biography could be. I have written a post on it in my blog.