Thursday 24 February 2011

WILLIAM TREVOR / ELIZABETH BOWEN SHORT STORY COMP

Elizabeth Bowen, May 1953 (unknown photographer)

At last a short story competition named for an Irish woman writer*. Well, half-named. I suggested this to them a few years ago - looks like they have finally (half-)listened. It seems William Trevor is back on board too. This prize was known as the Mitchelstown Short Story Prize for a while and before that the William Trevor Prize. Whatever the moniker, it's good to see it back.

WILLIAM TREVOR / ELIZABETH BOWEN INTERNATIONAL
SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2011

Mitchelstown Literary Society, the organising committee, is pleased to announce that entries are now being accepted for the above Competition; this being the first under this banner.

“This is an ideal opportunity for creative writers to have the standard of their literary efforts appraised. Our short listing adjudicator for the competition is Vincent McDonnell, who is a well known short story writer and has won several prestigious national competitions in recent years. He will select a short list of circa 25 stories.

The final adjudicator will be John MacKenna, whose recent book of short stories, "The River Field", has received much critical acclaim. If competition, in any facet of life, is the act of testing oneself against, or being judged by, the best then, in this competition, that tenet certainly holds true”.

Each story should contain a maximum of 3000 words and should be submitted, by post only, on or before Friday 29th. April 2011.

The winner will receive the Prize of €2,500 and a Laptop Computer.

Five runners up will receive cash prizes of €200 each.

There is an entry fee of €20.00 per entry and each entry must have an official entry form attached.

The names of the winner and runners-up will be posted to the competition website when they become available.

Closing date: Last post Friday 29th. April 2011.
Entries, by post only, to:

Trevor/Bowen International Short Story Competition,  
37 Upper Cork Street,
Mitchelstown,
Co. Cork,
Ireland.

*Yes, I know there's the Molly Keane Award too.

8 comments:

Ev said...

Jesus! The entry fee is steep. Do they not know there's a recession on the radio? Isn't there a Maria Edgeworth comp. Nuala? Or is that one stopped.

Group 8 said...

It is steep, Ev.
The Edgeworth has gone all right. There is also the Hannah Greally and the Annie Deeney (is that still going?). My point is, I guess, that most comps are named for men and it irritates me.

Tania Hershman said...

I remember this from last year, glad to see the Elizabeth Bowen addition! Yes, it's "international" but how do those of us in non-Euro countries send euros by post??

Group 8 said...

Hi Tania, I think you can buy a euro bank draft. I've bought sterling ones before.

Emerging Writer said...

20 Euro? Gulp. that's a good bottle of wine or two (or three from Lidl)

Ossian said...

A bank draft costs another few quid. Why don't they setup a PayPal account, it would take them about 10 minutes?

Group 8 said...

It IS a lot of money, Kate. And in these recessionary times...

Group 8 said...

Ossian - yes, one would think in this day and age that all comps would have an online facility.