The George Floyd Short Story Competition/ How to apply(€450)

Nottingham Writers’ Studio is proud to launch the first year of their new annual writing competition, the George Floyd short story competition. This competition was coined in  memory of George Floyd, a black man killed by a white police officer in the US in May 2020.

“The murder of George Floyd by a man who was meant to protect him is a tragedy. This competition is intended to commemorate his life and shine a spotlight on the BAME community and their stories.” – Alan Walker, NWS Chair.

The contest aims at bringing wonderful stories together in an anthology. With this anthology, Nottingham Writers Studio seeks to capture not only stories of social justice that mirrors the mood, tone, and energy of the vital Black Lives Matter movement, but the entire gamut of BAME life experience, from social justice to comedies by black authors to romances with a predominantly Asian cast.

This years entries will be judged by Yvette Edwards, the author of ‘A Cupboard Full of Coats’ and ‘The Mother.

Who is eligible

• This competition is open to all asthey welcome the experiences of advocates and allies as well as voices from the black community. Above all, the studio wants to ensure that in publishing the anthology they amplify, centre, and celebrate the voices and writings of people of colour.
• It has no restriction on age
• There is no entry fee to be collected. Registration is free.

What to gain by applying for The George Floyd Short Story Competition

• The winning and highly recommended stories will be published in a new anthology printed by Nottingham Writers’ Studio in partnership with Dizzy Ink. The title of the anthology would be —‘Black Lives.’
• This competition is fully funded by the Nottingham Writers’ Studio board and is free to enter. Any money raised from the sale of the anticipated ‘Black Lives’ anthology will be donated to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.
• “BAME individuals make up 13% of the British population, but only 6% of published authors… At the studio we think this is not only a disservice to the BAME community, but also to ourselves. It is our hope that by running this event, we can do our own small part to help rectify this imbalance.”
  – NWS Board.
• 1st Prize £250, 2nd Prize £125, 3rd Prize £75.
• Submissions deemed Highly Recommended will be printed alongside the top prize winners in a new anthology and receive a cash prize of £30.
• All those printed in the anthology are entitled to a year’s free membership at the Nottingham Writers’ Studio, regardless of locality.

Guidelines for Submission

• Please read the full list of guidelines before applying.
• This is a competition for short stories only (5000 words max. No minimum)
• All genres/styles – both fiction and non-fiction – are
• One short story per entrant.
• The submission must not have been submitted to another competition (decision pending) or already in print/published online.
• The submission must be the author’s original work.Plagiarism is unacceptable and if caught, the entry would be deemed invalid.
• Submissions must be typed in a standardized font, 12 point and double spaced on the document.
• Submissions must be final drafts in PDF format. No edits or revisions can be made after submission.
• The name of the author must not appear on the PDF document.
• Submissionsto be sent by email to admin@nottinghamwritersstudio.co.uk along with a short bio (no more than 100 words) with a photograph of the author attached. This bio and image may be used for promotional purposes and if awarded a place in print will be used in the ‘Black Lives’ anthology.
• The deadline for submission is 31st August, 2020.

 

Good Luck!