Short Story Competition

Due to the phenomenal success of our short story competition which has been running for the last two years in Town & Village Communti Magazine, we have decided to run it for a third year. The winner will not only receive a generous cash prize, but will also be published in our fiction slot. There will also be two other cash prizes for second and third place and these entries will also get publication in the fiction slot of Town & Village.

Town & Village is also available for download on the internet so the winning authors will benefit from worldwide publication in this format.

PRIZES
1st prize – £100 plus publication in our fiction slot
2nd prize – £30 plus publication in our fiction slot
3rd prize – £10 plus publication in our fiction slot

THEME
This time the theme of the story must be “A misunderstanding” with a maximum word length of 1,000 words. We are looking for stories to entertain our readers throughout the bleak winter period. If you think you can write about a misunderstanding to make us laugh or make us cry a little, now is your chance.

RULES
Please read these rules before you complete your entry form. If you break any of them, your entry cannot win the competition.
1.    The theme of the story must be “A misunderstanding”
2.    Maximum word length 1200 words
3.    All content must be your own work and your entry must not have been published, won a prize anywhere else or be entered for another competition at the same time
4.    Give your entry a title, but do not put your name on it. Ensure a covering sheet with the title of your story and your name, address and telephone number is included with your entry.
5.    Entries will not be returned, so please keep your own copy
6.    Entry fee is £4 per story
7.    No email or handwritten entries are permitted
8.    Fill in an entry form for each story. Photocopies are accepted
9.    Close date is 31 August 2010
10.  Entries plus entry fee(s) are to be sent to: Short Story Competition, Town & Village Community Magazine, 6 Whittle Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 7RU. Cheques are made payable to Page & Pulford Ltd.

JUDGES
Entries will be short-listed by Town & Village’s editor and author, Janine Pulford. Final entries on the shortlist will be judged by Carol Rivers, author of ‘Eve of the Isle,’ an Isle of Dogs Saga, and one other judge who is yet to be announced. The winner and the runners up will be announced in the November issue of Town & Village.

Authors retain copyright of their stories, but Town & Village reserves the right to publish the winning entry and the second and third place stories within six months of the close date.


ENTRY FORM