Deadline: 18 June 2012
(Note: The competition is free to enter and open to anyone in the world over the age of 16.)
The 2012 William Soutar Writing Prize has been launched and this year the competition is open to short story writers. This is the tenth year of the prize which awards poets and short story writers in alternate years and is run by Perth & Kinross Council's Libraries and Information Services in memory of Perth's most famous poet.
The first prize is a week's writing course at one of the prestigious Arvon writers' centres, worth around £600 and there is a second prize of £100. There will also be a special local award of £50 for the best short story by a resident of Perth and Kinross. Entries this year will be judged by writer and broadcaster Billy Kay.
GUIDELINES
This is an annual competition now in its tenth year, alternating between poetry and short stories. For 2012, short stories may be entered. Entry is free and open to anyone in the world over the age of 16, but you are limited to two short stories.
JUDGE: Billy Kay
PRIZES
- First Prize A writing course at Moniack Mhor, the Arvon Centre in Scotland (for which the normal fee would be approximately £600), or another of the UK Arvon Centres. The winner will be announced on Writers’ Day, Saturday 25 August 2012
- Second Prize £100 Book Tokens
- Local Prize £50 of Book Tokens will also be awarded for the best work from a resident of Perth and Kinross
THE COMPETITION RULES
• The deadline for all entries is Monday 18 June 2012
• All entrants must be 16 years of age or over
• Stories must not exceed 2000 words
• A maximum of two stories may be submitted
• All entries must be typed or word processed, on one side of the paper only
• Two copies of each sort story submitted must be provided
• Entries may be in English or Scots
• The competition is open to anyone throughout and outside the United Kingdom
• All entries are judged anonymously and the name of the writer must not appear on the manuscript
• Stories must not have been previously published
• Competition entries cannot be returned - please do not include a pre-paid envelope
• The Judge’s decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into
• Alterations cannot be made to stories once they have been submitted
• Entries must be accompanied by an entry form
• There is no entry fee for this competition
• Local entries (writers living in Perth & Kinross at time of entry) can also be additionally entered for the local Soutar prize. They should tick the LOCAL box on the entry form
• It is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure that the above rules are adhered to
Failure to comply with the above rules will result in disqualification from the competition. The winner(s) will be notified a few days before the formal announcement on 25 August 2012. Unsuccessful entrants will not be individually notified. If a local entrant wins one of the main prizes, they will not also be eligible for the local prize.
The winning names will be posted on our website. The writers of the winning short stories grant Perth & Kinross Libraries and Information Services the right to use the stories in publicity material for one year from 25 August 2012. The copyright of each story remains with the author.
Download: entry form
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For submissions: return your completed form and two copies of each submission to Jill Mackintosh, AK Bell Library, York Place, Perth PH2 8EP, UK
Website: http://www.pkc.gov.uk/