Archive: magazines 2009

Newsletters

January

Under discussion

Ever been delighted to be shortlisted – then dismayed by the prize winning entries?
Likewise, had work published where it seems quantity (or something) is more important than quality?

Congratulations

To the prizewinners of the Indigo Dreams Winter Collection Competition 2009
Winners: Will Daunt – Powerless; K.V. Skene – You Can Almost Hear Their Voices; Richard Handley – Winter In The Heart
Highly Commended: Helen Larham, Helen Dring, Denise Bennett,
Angela Saunderson
Commended: Simone Mansell Broome, Owen Bullock, Margaret Eddershaw, Peter Johnson, Jade Kennedy, Patrick B. Osada, Ian C. Smith
www.indigodreamsonline.com

Update

January 20
CHAPTER ONE PROMOTIONS
INTERNATIONAL OPEN SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Prizes: £2,500, £1000, £500.
Publication for top three winners,
10 runners up and five highly recommended
Fee: £10.  Length: 2500 words.
Judge: Tom Chalmers.
Also, Novel Competition, deadline February 28.
1st Prize: £500.  Winner supported in completing novel which will be published
and available through the Book Cellar and Amazon.
Lorella Belli Literary Agency will have the first option of representing you.
Fee: £20. Length: either first three chapters of mss,
or a prologue and the first two chapters, along with a one page synopsis.
Full details on website; entry forms and submissions may be made online. Or
SEND SAE: Chapter One Promotions, Canterbury Court,
1-3 Brixton Road, London, SW9 6DE
info@chapteronepromotions.com   www.chapteronepromotions.com

Closing date is March 31 for this free competition for children:
Oliver Eade, author of Scottish-Chinese fantasy Moon Rabbit, invites children to explain link
between River Tweed and mythological China (300 words maximum). Prize: £100 and acknowledgement in Moon Rabbit sequel. Winner announced: 1st May. E-mail submissions via parent
by attachment as Word or PDF (Include child’s name and age and parent’s contact details):
Rashmi Shastri, Delancey Press, at info@delanceypress.co.uk   www.moon-rabbit.org.uk

Sampad International Writing Competition
For aspiring writers from or connected
to the South Asian diaspora around the world.
SEND TO: 4 Church Road, Birmingham B15 3SH
info@sampad.org.uk   www.sampad.org.uk
extended from December 31 to January 31

Competitions not running currently/this year

Jane Austen short story award 2009  (march 31): but will be biennial.

Charnwood Arts miniWords Competition (February 16)

Genomics Forum Short Story Competition (March 31)

The Winston Graham Historical Prize (March 31): and no 2009 winner

The 14th International Mattia Poetry Competition (March 1)

The People’s College Third Annual Writing Competition (February 28)

Pier Pressure Short Story Competition (March 31): last year’s cancelled

News just in

January 25
100 STORIES NEEDED TO HELP HAITI

Fundraisers are calling for urgent short story submissions to help raise money for disaster-stricken Haiti. Out of the submissions, 100 pieces of fiction will be chosen to appear in an e-book, the proceeds of which will go to the Red Cross.

The Red Cross is just one of a number of charities and humanitarian organisations mobilising a vast aid effort to reach the thousands of injured, hungry and thirsty survivors of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake to hit Haiti on 12 January.

100 Stories for Haiti is the brainchild of author Greg McQueen. On the morning of January 19, Greg posted a video on his blog saying: “Dear Twitterverse, I can’t keep watching this on the news or trending on Twitter without doing something. I woke up this morning with the idea that together we could make an e-book and donate all the profits to the Red Cross.”

Within hours, news had spread throughout microblogging website, Twitter, and story submissions began arriving. Nick Harkaway, author of ‘The Gone Away World’, will be editing a story for the book as well as penning the introduction. Lorraine Mace, co-author of the ABC Checklist for Writers, and award-winning environmental journalist, Sarah Lewis-Hammond, are volunteering their time to help with the editorial process.

100 Stories for Haiti needs short story submissions and volunteers.

If you want to send a short story, please follow these guidelines:
• Do not exceed 1,000 words.
• No stories containing graphic violence, death or destruction.
• Send all stories in the body text of an email to 100storiesforhaiti@gmail.com. Stories sent as attachments will not be opened.

The book will be sold on www.smashwords.com. Founder and CEO Mark Coker will be waiving the normal 15% commission.

100 Stories for Haiti will be published in mid-February, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Greg McQueen
100 stories for Haiti
Tel: +45 31 71 77 41
Email: gregmcqueen@gmail.com
Published online at http://www.pressdispensary.co.uk/releases/c992540.php
Press office: http://www.pressdispensary.co.uk/office/q991438.php

January 31
HAIKU CALENDAR COMPETITION
Prize money: £360 total.
Calendar published in August.
Fee: £3/US $5; £6/US $10/3; £12/US $20/10.
‘entries on 3″ x 5″ (75mm x 125mm) card, and assigned to a month,
written on the reverse’.
Details on website. No entry form required; enclose appropriate details and
SEND TO: THCC, Snapshot Press, Orchard House, High Lane, Ormskirk L40 7SL info@snapshotpress.co.uk    www.snapshotpress.co.uk

January 31
MYSTERY WOMEN
SHORT STORY COMPETITION
The winner to be announced and the prize to be presented at BRISTOL CRIME FEST 2010
At the Gala Dinner 22nd May 2010. Held at the Marriot Hotel, Bristol
Prize:  £100
Winning entry to be published in the Mystery Women magazine
Conference ticket for CrimeFest 2011
Judges Martin Edwards -  author of the Harry Devlin and the Daniel Kind series and Ayo Onatade – CWA Dagger Judge.
RULES AND ENTRY:
Open only to unpublished writers.
Write a crime story on 1000 words  - no more, no less, entitled
MYSTERY WOMAN  or  MYSTERY WOMEN. (Entries non-returnable)
£10 per story  - Max 2 stories per person
Please give yourself a pseudonym, your name must not appear on your script. Please write your pseudonym on your script and in the right hand corner of your envelope.
Closing date 31st January 2010
Post to;
Ms L HAYES
2 Darwin Close
Broughton Astley. Leicestershire. LE9 6XD
www.mysterywomen.co.uk/SSC.html

February 14
“It’s A Crime” Writing Competition
The winner will become a published author and see their work promoted in all major book outlets and the press, alongside such big names as Jake Arnott and Minette Walters. There is also a prize of £500 on offer.
This is a new publishing venture run by students at the University of Central Lancashire and overseen by tutor and project manager Debbie Williams. Debbie was until recently a buyer at Waterstone’s head office and was a judge on the Wow Factor competition run with Faber & Faber and This Morning.
The competition panel will consist of senior staff at Askews library supplies, Waterstone’s Booksellers and MA Publishing students from the University of Central Lancashire.
‘We are asking people from all walks of life to come forward’,  said Debbie Williams, ‘You may have a manuscript lurking in the bottom drawer. This is a great opportunity to share it with the world. If you have a talent for exciting crime writing and a gripping storylines we want to hear from you. ‘
Competition/ submission rules of entry
* To qualify for the IT’S A CRIME competition, entrants must be aged 18 years and over and their work must be aimed at either the crime or mystery market.
* To enter, hopefuls must either send a proposal and three sample chapters or a synopsis and the sample chapters of their work to UCLan Publishing, Media Factory, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, UK, PR1 2HE by February 14th 2010.
* A full manuscript between 20, 000 and 50, 000 must be ready for submission after that date if requested by the panel.
* The winner will be announced by the end of March 2010.
Prizes
The winning entry will be published with editorial, design, marketing, publicity & sales support.
* A prize of £500 will be made to the winner.
* The author will receive an excellent royalty rate of 7.5% of the UK recommended retail price on the first 40,000 copies sold, rising to 10% thereafter and will also receive GBP 1,000.
www.uclan.ac.uk

Publications

Ruth O’Callahan’s new book Goater’s Alley (Shoestring) is due out in March. It will retail at £9 but only £7 for those who pre-order/pre-pay. As usual it will support the Cold Weather Shelter.

And finally
Because we all end up always leaving things to the very last minute….

January 25
MSLEXIA WOMEN’S SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2010
Prizes: 1st: £2,000
plus 1 week writing retreat at Chawton House Library
Mslexia Publications Limited, Freepost NEA5566,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1BR; 0191 233 3860
www.mslexia.co.uk/whatson/msbusiness/scomp_active.html

January 29
2010 ACADEMI CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION
Prizes: £5000, £500, £250; 5 x £50 runners-up.
PO Box 438, Cardiff CF10 5YA, Wales, UK
www.academi.org/cipc/

January 30
TORRIANO POETRY COMPETITION
(Proceeds to the Torriano Meeting House Support Fund)
Prizes: £250, £150, £75.
Enquiries: 01304 372914 or email june.English@btinternet.com
SEND TO: Diana Baggs, 1 Havelock Road, Walmer, Deal, Kent CT14 7TE

December

Under discussion
Includes a variety of topics, eg disqualifying prizewinners, magazines v competitions

Everybody welcome to join in – by joining us at Kudos for Writers:

Congratulations

Heidi Williamson, winner of the Poetrycan Poetry Competition, and Kim Moore, Highly Commended

Correction/apology

It’s Cliff Yates who has a new collection from Salt: Frank Freeman’s Dancing School, and Cliff Forshaw with one of the two winning pamphlets in Flarestack’s competitions.

Update

Correct closing date is February 12, not 24.
Words by the Water / Mirehouse Poetry Competition
Competition Theme: “The bliss of solitude” (Wordsworth)
Entries are invited for original poems of no more than 40 lines on the above theme.
Entry fee: £4 per poem.
Closing date: Friday 12th February 2010
Judge: John Burnside.  John has written nine collections of poetry and five works of fiction.
In 2000 he won the Whitbread Poetry Award.
Prizes: 1st prize £350.  Eight runners up will each receive £100 of new books.  The nine shortlisted poems will be displayed on the Mirehouse Poetry Walk and on the website.   There will be a reading of the nine poems at a special prize giving event with John Burnside at Mirehouse on Saturday 13 March at 11.30am
For full details email admin@wayswithwords.co.uk <mailto:admin@wayswithwords.co.uk>  or ring 01803 867373.

News just in

Brit Writers’ Awards Unpublished 2010, deadline extended to February 26.
Brit Writers Ltd of 67 Lombard Street, Birmingham B12 0QU
Tel: 0871 237 4442
enquiries@britwriters.co.uk    www.britwriters.co.uk

January 3
British Feature Screenplay Competition for previously unpublished feature-length screenplays in any genre. Prizes: The winning screenplay will be produced by Kaos Films with a budget of up to US$2million. Email submission only. Entry fee: £50 for early submission; £70 for late submission (February 28) www.kaosfilms.co.uk

January 15
Faerie Tales Writing Competition
2,000-3,250 words: the mysterious, the macabre or the supernatural. Prize: Winning stories are read aloud by two familiar faces from the Pitlochry stage each Friday and Saturday evening during the Winter Words Festival. Faerie Tales Competition, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Pitlochry, Pertshire, PH16 5DR   www.pitlochry.org.uk

January 18
Write Queer London is for stories and nonfiction of up to 2,500 words and poems of up to 30 lines about queer London, past, present and future. Prizes in each category: £300, 2@£100. Entry fee: £5 each. www.untoldlondon.org.uk

Tasty new magazine
‘A brand new, freshly-baked poetry magazine is about to burst onto the literary scene. The inaugural issue of Cake should be emerging from the creative furnace of Lancaster in October and is currently being painstakingly prepared by Andrew McMillan, Martha Sprackland and Paul Farley.The editors are very keen to receive submissions from both new and established writers, both ones based in Lancaster and those further afield. Poetry, Flash Fiction (500 word maximum) as well as treatments for reviews and articles are needed to add to the growing list of ingredients for the first issue; a list which already includes such luminaries as Ian Gregson, Ira Lightman and Joolz Denby. To add your own unique flavours, please submit send your work, in the body of an email to: themixingbowl@hotmail.co.uk.
More information can be found at Cake’s Facebook group

Half full…
‘In Fall 2010, we will be publishing a special volume: A Cup of Comfort: Readers’ Choice Edition! This collection will feature stories that you, the Cup of Comfort community, have selected as the strongest of the submissions!
From now until January 15th, 2010, you will be able to enter your story for a contest fee of only $10.99! Your story can be about anything you want—as long as it fits the uplifting Cup of Comfort spirit. At the close of voting period, the publishers will select ten finalists that will appear on CupofComfort.com in March 2010 to be voted on by you, your friends, your family—anyone who has registered for the site! At the close of the voting period, the four stories that received the most votes will be declared the winners!
The Grand Prize Winner will be awarded the following prizes:
1.    $50
2.    The honor of writing the book’s dedication
3.    Designation as the first story in the anthology
4.    Placement of the winning story on the Cup of Comfort website for three months!
5.    The complete Cup of Comfort library
The three runners up will win the following prizes:
1.    $100
2.    Inclusion of a small dedication on the story’s opening page
Placement as the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stories in the anthology
The complete Cup of Comfort library’
www.cupofcomfort.com

And finally

Because we all end up always leaving things to the very last minute….

December 22
The PSA Chapbook Fellowships
Open to any US resident who has not published a full-length poetry collection, for manuscripts of 20-30 pages, one poem per page. Prize: 2 x US$1,000.
Poetry Society of America, 15 Gramercy Park, New York, NY 10003, USA www.poetrysociety.org

December 31
Travel Writing Competition
Articles of up to 800 words by anyone over 18yrs who has not been published in the travel field. Theme: A Very Special Place. Prize: Four-day writing holiday in Istanbul under expert tuition; Trip to Berlin courtesy of WEXAS, The Travellers’ Club, in association with Hotel Berlin and Lufthansa; Selection of 10 travel guides from award-winning publisher Bradt.  www.bgtw.org

December 31
Ho! Ho! Ho! Have you a tinsel tale to show? Flash fiction competition for Christmas themed stories of up to 250 words. Upload your story to the contest web page and watch it gain votes and comments from your friends, family and other writers. The site will generate a top 10 shortlist, but final judging will be by human editor who will cherry pick up to five other entries. Prizes: £75, £50, £25. Entries limited to 100  www.writelink.co.uk/tinseltales

November

Under Discussion

‘Competitons v magazines’: comments? examples?

Correction

Closing date for Torriano Poetry Competition is January 31
Enquiries: 01304 372914 or email june.english@btinternet.com
Entries to: Diana Baggs, 1 Havelock Road, Walmer, Deal, Kent CT14 7TE

News Just In

December 31
‘Sheila Bender is a big believer in prompts, freewrites and the revision
process. Her fall 2009 No-Contest Contest began its reading period
October 30th. ‘
www.writingitreal.com/page.php?p=essay_contest

Updates

Drip Action Theatre Trail Writers Competition
closing date brought forward from January 31 to December 31
Drip Action Theatre Trail 2009, 1 Norfolk House, 28 High Street,
Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 9AB; 01903 885250
dripactioninfo@btinternet.com    www.dripaction.co.uk

December 31
First Annual James Kirkup Memorial Poetry Competition
Any length, not ‘1 side of A4’.
Red Squirrel Press, PO Box 219, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 9AU
info@redsquirrelpress.com    www.redsquirrelpress.com

New deadline: December 31
First Prize: up to £150 depending on entry, under-11s prize and
commendations (see website for details).
The Presteigne & Norton Twinning Association
is running a children’s poetry competition (under 16s)
with a theme of France.
A poetry booklet will be produced from the favourite entries.
Just £1 per poem to enter and £3 to enter 5 poems.
Download the entry form at the website: www.pnta.org.uk/poetry

Events

Dyslexia Awareness Week 2009
Every Monday and Wednesday of the week up to November 25
dyssing monadys will take place at our sponsored venue,
The Horse, 124 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7XG.
For more details, please visit www.makingtheatrework.com

Words on Stone
Maryport LitFest 13 -15 November
tel: 01900 816168 or email senhousemuseum@aol.com
More details can be found on the museum’s website at www.senhousemuseum.co.uk

Contents May Vary workshop run by Co-Founding Directors Alice Bradshaw and Liz Murphy, 11am-4pm, November 14 and 15:
Interpreting and Making Surrealism, part of the Angels of Anarchy exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery
£36 (£29 concessions). Includes materials and exhibition ticket.
Book on 0161 235 8888 or email magevents@manchester.gov.uk

November 20
7.00 (doors open 6.30)
Ruth O’Callaghan Presents Ark Poets
Shanta Acharya
Stephen Watts
Poets from the Floor Very Welcome. Cinnamon Press is our new Sponsor.
Please bring a copy of the poem if you wish to be considered for the new anthology
Trinity United Reform Church
1 Buck St, Camden Town  (2 minutes Camden Town tube.)
Entry £4/£3           Wine
Proceeds to the Cold Weather Shelter for the Homeless

Congratulations

Cliff Forshaw (Wake) and Selima Hill (Advice on wearing animal prints),
the winning pamphlets in Flarestack’s competitions.
(And to Cliff for his new collection from Salt: Frank Freeman’s Dancing School)
And to Kudos/Orbis subscribers/contributors etc, whose work will appear in the anthology: Gol McAdam; Jane Seabourne; K V Skene; Anne Stewart;
Jason Watts; Sarah Williams

And finally
Because all of us always end up leaving things to the last minute….
Just a few days left forthe following

Call for submissions

November
20×20 magazine Issue Three
Meta-words: HARMONIA MUNDI
Sections:
WORDS - in the shape of fiction, essays, poetry
VISIONS – drawings, photography, visual projects
the BLENDER - where words and visions cross paths
info@20×20magazine.com   http://20×20magazine.com

November 6

Under Discussion

‘Anonymous’ entries: comments? examples?
Everybody welcome to join in – by joining us at Kudosforwriters:   www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=187955986920

Updates

BBC My Story Competition: 15 stories made into TV programmes in 2010, and not 2009 as originally advised (just as well I asked).
Deadline, December 16 www.bbc.co.uk/mystory

Latest competition news

December 31
2 new Writevoice competitions, Short Story and Flash Fiction:  www.writevoice.co.uk

February 28

Call for Submissions: Magma 47 ‘the devil and all his works’
http://magmapoetry.com/

February 28
West Dean and Myriad Editions launch a new Writer’s Retreat Competition    www.myriadeditions.com

Congratulations

The Times Stephen Spender Prize for poetry translation
Michael Swan and A. C. Clarke

New Books

‘Alice Lenkiewicz’s first collection of poems and drawings, Men Hate Blondes from your local bookseller, a signed copy from Alice - poetshideout@yahoo.com - or unsigned from yours truly…. ‘
Sam Smith, The Journal  &  original plus, 17 High Street, Maryport  Cumbria  CA15 6BQ UK    www.freewebs.com/thesamsmith/
www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/index.asp?id=90

Events

November 8
Short Fuse Stories   Nouvelle Noir!
‘Join us at the Komedia Studio bar from 8pm for a night of noir fiction straight from Brighton’s gutters!
A line-up of contemporary noir fiction, rooted in Series Noir, film noir and the pulp novels of the 40s and 50s, this Short Fuse special will see local crime writer Danny Hogan headlining. Danny will read from his pulp novel ‘Killer Tease’ a novella set in Brighton,where a psychopathic burlesque dancer takes her violent revenge on a string of venal males who discover they have bitten off more than they could chew. Hogan is the man behind Pulp Press, a publishing company which delivers the best and newest in pulp fiction. “From hard boiled crime to rockabilly sleaze via a few Westerns and tales of delinquency.”
Also featuring Brian Bell aka Charlie McQuaker, A.K.Benedict, James Burt and Tara Gould.
Intrigue, suspense and sleazy, sexy, morally ambiguous tales.
Themed open mic slot ‘Mean Streets’ for stories up to 500 words.
Please send to shortfusestories@yahoo.co.uk
Dress (to kill) code optional, kitted out good and proper or appropriate accessories.
With seedy vintage tunes and bar between readings, and post show drinks at tbc venue after hours. ‘

Give us a clue

Get this right and it’s 1 down, 9 to go to a free copy (full details on both websites):
Winning which competition could make you feel you’ve landed in the lap of the gods?

Just a thought

Was I the only one who enjoyed ‘The Black Box’ (Liverpool Playhouse);
see Reviews Section

And finally

Because we all end up always leaving things to the very last minute….

November 13
DAVISON SHORT SHORT STORY COMPETITION
www.gary-davison.com

November 8
@ CHRISTMAS CHILLERS SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Sue Kendrick, 7 Melbourne Road, Newbold,
Coleorton, Leicestershire LE67 8JH; 01530 223467; fax. 01530 223028
www.writelink.co.uk/xmaschillers

Overseas

November 14
THE SEGORA 3rd OPEN POETRY COMPETITION
SEND TO: Le Moulin de l’Arche, 79150 St. Clementin, Deux-Sevres, France
pontdarche@hotmail.com     www.poetryproseandplays.co.uk

Caveat lector
Our aim is to provide details as supplied by a wide variety of competition organisers and sources.
No liability accepted in connection with this information,
and inclusion does not constitute recommendation - even if sometimes I quite like the sound of some things.
NB, items in Kudos magazine are double checked and proofs sent to organisers to ensure accuracy

****

Kudos 79
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Reach for the stars

with prizes from the Plough, the Divine Competition, Limnisa and Grace Dieu Writers.

More down to earth but just as high class:
Iota, the Fellows Poetry Prize, Bridge House and Academi.

High Society, even; that’s Café, Kent and Sussex and West Country Writers.

Once upon a time – yes, really: fairy tales for Samhain,

or way out West for Cowboy Up - Yeehah…

Still Overseas, see what’s in store at Tupelo, Limnisa,

Dream Quest One and Tampa Review

And there’s more, much more:
DAWS, John Dryden, Diverse Voices, WriteOnSite, Mslexia, Segora,

Write Space and Mirehouse, Words by the Water.

All here – only in this issue of Kudos.