I was shortlisted for this last year and it gave my confidence a boost!
WRITER'S RETREAT COMPETITION
Call for entries — deadline 3 February 2014
Myriad Editions is joining forces with West Dean College to offer unpublished writers the chance to win a week's writing retreat, with full board, in the luxurious surroundings of the College, situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty six miles north of Chichester, South East England.
Past winners of the WRC include Lisa Cutts, author of Never Forget, published by Myriad earlier this year. Myriad also publishes two previously shortlisted entrants: Nina de la Mer and Hannah Vincent.
The competition, now in its fifth year, also offers up to six shortlisted entrants the chance to receive feedback from industry experts.
This year, the prize will be judged by:
Lesley Thomson, bestselling author of The Detective’s Daughter and A Kind of Vanishing, and tutor on West Dean College’s Creative Writing courses
Jonathan Kemp, award-winning author of London Triptych (Author’s Club Best First Novel) and Twentysix, and creative writing tutor at Birkbeck College, University of London
Laura Lockington, children’s author, literary reviewer, Book Doctor and co-host of the Bookish Supper Society
Becky Thomas, literary agent at Fox Mason Agency
Candida Lacey, publisher and MD, and Vicky Blunden, fiction editor, at Myriad Editions.
Last year's winner, Al Brookes, was announced at a packed event on 'What Makes a Book Worth Publishing' at the Brighton Festival. The panel of judges (left to right below) were: Greg Mosse, writer and tutor of creative writing courses at West Dean College; Candida Lacey, publisher and MD, Myriad Editions; Pam McIlroy, aka literary blogger Pamreader; Elizabeth Haynes, author of Into the Darkest Corner (Amazon's Best Book of the Year 2011), Revenge of the Tide and Human Remains; and Kate Shaw, literary agent at The Viney Agency.
West Dean College
Nestled within the South Downs near Chichester is the 6,400 acre West Dean Estate which is home to West Dean College. The peace and tranquillity of the landscape, coupled with the exciting and rich cultural and artistic history of the College and its founder, patron and poet Edward James, offers a stimulating atmosphere to get you writing.
West Dean College offers a year round programme of Creative Writing short courses. The Creative Writing programme was established by Greg Mosse and Kate Mosse, author of the bestselling Carcassonne trilogy, Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel, and co-founder of the Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction.
How to Enter
The 2014 competition is now open for submissions.
The competition is open to unpublished writers of prose fiction. Submissions of a one-page synopsis and up to 5,000 words of a work-in-progress (novel or short story collection) should be sent by post, with a covering letter and a cheque for £5 (made payable to Myriad Editions) to:
'West Dean Competition', Myriad Editions, 59 Lansdowne Place, Brighton BN3 1FL
Alternatively the fee can be paid via PayPal using the email address: info@myriadeditions.com
Please make sure that your name, address, email address and contact number are included in your cover letter, but not on each page of the work itself. Submitted material will not be returned.
The closing date is Monday 3 February 2014
The shortlist will be decided in April 2014 and the winner will be announced in May 2014
Conditions of entry
- The competition is open to unpublished writers (in all formats including online) over the age of 18, of any nationality.
- Submissions must be no longer than 5,000 words.
- Entries must be previously unpublished (in all formats including online), original and in English.
- Entires must be double or 1.5 spaced with author name on first page only.
- Entries must not have been submitted to any other competition.
- Only one entry per person is allowed.
- Entries must be received by post by Monday 3 February 2014.
- An entry fee of £5 is payable by cheque or PayPal: info@myriadeditions.com
- The judges’ decision is final. No discussion concerning the judges’ decision will be entered into.
- The competition is not open to previous winners of the competition, nor to employees of Myriad Editions or West Dean College.
- The week's Writing Retreat must be taken within one year of the announcement of the winner and arranged with West Dean College, subject to availability.
- Shortlisted authors will be notified by email in April 2014. The winner will announced in May 2014.
- The prize is not exchangeable.
- Failure to meet the conditions of entry will mean that a submission is automatically disqualified from the competition.
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