Wordsmiths Competition 2020

‘Wordsmiths’ is set to be an annual writing competition of a different nature. The format has been thrown wide open to give a level-playing field for beginners and veterans alike. Rather than a specific theme entrants are asked to create or rework an existing piece from a certain perspective. This year, the opening year, quite aptly we ask writers to apply themselves in words as a jeweler would in gold. In the right hands words are more precious and that’s what we seek to find.

The winner will receive €550 and all shortlisted entries will have a personal critique prepared and sent to them privately. The winning piece will also be published on our webpage. The entry fee is €11. We accept multiple entries and the winner will also have their entry fee refunded.

The style, genre and format is up to the writer. We set no limits on length or presentation and allow combinations of prose and poetry as well as dialectic and colloquial speech patterns, unusual grammatical formulation and anastrophe. This was in response to protests of rigid rules in an era of restrictions.

Entries must be sent digitally to bethestudent@icloud.com along with payment via PayPal to the same email address. Clearly photographed handwritten work is also acceptable. For full details of rules and conditions see https://www.wordperiscope.co.uk/

Judges are set to be:

Michael O’Hanlon, Poet and Author of ‘Free Spirits’

Raymond Cummings, Senior Lecturer in English Literature at St. Mary’s University College

Melanie Patrick, Staff Writer for The Lamp Theatre

Deadline for submissions is: 12 pm on November 15th 2020

Shortlisted entrants will be notified by: December 30th 2020

Winner will be announced on: February 1st 2021

Terms and Conditions

• Contestants may submit work in the English language (no other) on any subject and in any style, genre or presentation form

• Prose, poetry or a combination of the two are among the perfectly acceptable forms

• Work will be judged anonymously so the entrants name or details should not appear anywhere in the manuscript

• Entries are to contain a minimum of 1 word (no half words please) and there is no upper limit. Entries not adhering to this rule will be disqualified and contestants banned

• All entries must be submitted digitally to email address: bethestudent@icloud.com

• Entrants are asked to put ‘WORD 2020’ as the email subject and provide their FULL name, postal address, telephone number and brief bio (2-3 sentences) in the body of the email. Manuscript to be attached

• Clearly photographed handwritten work is acceptable (but no selfies please)

• The entry fee is £10 GBP. Please send via PayPal to bethestudent@icloud.com

• Deadline for submission is 15th Nov 2020

• Shortlisted contestants will be notified by 30th December and the winner will be announced by 1st February 2021

• All shortlisted entries will receive feedback

— — — — and just in case — — — —

• By submitting you agree to all the rules

• Entry fees will be only be refunded for the winner. If the winning contestant has submitted more than one entry they will be refunded for all entries

• Excessively graphic or offensive content will result in the piece being disqualified

• The winning piece may be subject to minor editing or correction before publication on the webpage

• Rules are subject to change if necessary

• Judges are considered capable of impartiality and contestants may not appeal their decisions (even if the same work has also been nominated for the Nobel Prize)

MORE INFO HERE