University of Southampton: Green Stories Writing Competitions 2019 – Apply (Prizes: Up to £4,500 and more)

Throughout the year, the University of South Hampton holds writing contests in the following categories:

stage plays
film
radio plays
book
tv
interactive fiction

They want creative works themed around ‘building a sustainable society’.

What genres and sub-genres do the judges consider?

They do not discriminate against any genre(s), so you can submit whatever genre you prefer to write, be it:

Romance comedy
Humor
Literary fiction
Science fiction
Mystery
Crime and so on.

Stories must engage with the idea of environmentally sustainable practices and/or sustainable societies.Writers are encouraged to imagine a more positive settings and practices for their stories.

According to the press release:

“The story doesn’t have to be about sustainability or climate change directly. A rom-com, for example, could be set in a society that replaces ownership with borrowing and the heroine goes to a clothes library to pick up a posh dress and borrow jewellery for her big date; or the hero in a crime drama could use a carbon credit card and hear the news in the background reporting on the wellbeing index instead of GDP; or the characters in a legal drama could live in a city where everyone has gardens on their roofs and generates energy from their own waste.”

Who is eligible to apply for the University of Southampton’s Green Stories Writing Competitions 2019 ?

Writers from all nationalities
Entrants whose works are original and free from plagiarism
Writers who are passionate about maintaining a green environment.
Do not submit previously published works.

Submission Guidelines for the University of Southampton’s Green Stories Writing Competitions 2019

For Stage Plays:

(Length: min 1 hour 15 minutes max 2 hours (typically 60-80 pages))

Click HERE to submit

For Radio play/Drama/Comedy series:

Length/format: choose one of three categories

45 minute drama: send whole script + 1 page synopsis

6 x 30 minute comedy series: send sample/pilot episode + 3 pages outlining remaining episodes (these should be ready as we will ask for them if shortlisted).

5 x 15 minute drama series: send the first two 15 minutes episodes and an outline of the further 3 episodes (these should be ready as we will ask for them if shortlisted).

Click HERE to submit

For Novel Manuscript:

Length: This will depend on genre, normal novels are 50,000 – 100, 000 words but children’s books may be as little as 15000. Submit the first 5,000 words double-spaced and numbered pages plus a one-page synopsis. We will then ask for the full novel from best entries.

Click HERE to submit

Full-length Screenplay

Length: Assuming 1 minute per page, aim for 90-120 pages.

Click HERE to submit

Short film:

Length: between 3 and 20 minutes

Submission link will be made available towards the deadline

TV /Netflix series

Length: 6 episodes 25-60 minutes each.

Click HERE to submit

Interactive Fiction (team entries are allowed):

Specifications: an introduction to the story and around an hour’s worth of material/gameplay.

If you’re new to Interactive Fiction, there is a wealth of Free Software available, such as Ink and Twine for producing interactive scripts, as well as programming tools based on natural language, such as Inform7. Good examples of Interactive Fiction can be found via The Interactive Fiction Competition and The Interactive Fiction Database

Submission link will be made available towards the deadline

What Will Writers Receive?

Winners in each category will receive:
£500 for the first prize

£100 for the second prize

£50 for the third prize

Bonus £50 for best student submission (18-25 years)

Another £50 for best submission by a creative under 18 years.

Winners will have their works published or produced (depending on the category)

Dates to note:
Deadlines for the submission of:

Stage play is 30th June 2019

Radio play/drama/comedy series, 31 August 2019

Full-length novel manuscript, September 2019