Creative writers invited to submit to Wells Festival of Literature competitions

As part of the 19th Wells Festival of Literature, the annual poetry and short story competitions are currently seeking submissions of original creative works.

The festival will be held in Wells, Somerset, from October 8th-15th 2010, with talks and readings by authors, poets, journalists and other wordsmiths of our age.

Poet Libby Houston and author Sarah Duncan will judge the short-listed poems and short stories. Last year former poet laureate Andrew Motion judged the poems, seeking out work that showed imagination, skill and originality within 40 lines.

The entry fee for each competition is £4 per entry, and the top prizes are a grand £500, with the second prize-winner in each category receiving £200, and the third prize-winners being awarded £100. In addition, there is a special Wyvern prize of £50 for writers living in the only to those who live in the BA, BS and TA Postcode districts of the UK.

Results will be announced during the festival. Winners will be notified in advance and will be invited to attend the Prize-giving on Saturday October 9th 2010.

Stories should be original and must be between 1,800 and 2000 words in length. They may be on any subject. Lines should be typed double-spaced. There is no limit on the number of stories which may be submitted.

Poets may submit up to five poems on any subject. Poems should be original and not more than 40 lines in length.

For further information and to download an entry form please visit the Wells Festival of Literature website

Photo by Jannick How Wong