OUR COMPETITIONS - Details
Your work critiqued eleven months of the year.
2023 Competitions
(No entry fees this year; deadline ALWAYS 15th of the month)
January:
For the Love of
Writing:
Members are invited to send in any form of writing which shows their personal style and expertise. You may wish to send in an extract,
a short story, a poem, an article, or a personal reflection or account of
something which has caught your whim. (This competition is a 'warm up' for the year and is in honour only, no prize money.)
February:
AutobiographicalAnecdote:
Something from childhood, your first
love, a moment in the military or in your career, a holiday incident, something
amusing you heard on a Clapham omnibus, fiction or not. Get writing...
March:
Herbert Spencer Poetry Competition:
Up to 40 lines - any topic
April:
Random Writing:
(Double judging):
The topic: HORIZONS. (No poetry). A single judge will provide the substantive critique and a decision, but a parallel set of judging by the membership as comparison, with further remarks. The decision of the single judge will be final.
Length 500-1,500 words
May:
Lewis Wright Short Story Competition:
Entries for this competition should be not
more than 3000 words.
June:
Gordon
Gompers Competition:
Travel and holiday articles, or a theme of memories of another place.
July:
250
word Flash Fiction Competition:
August:
COMPETITION HOLIDAY - No event
September:
Vee Bradley Humorous Poetry Competition
No longer than 30 lines, with each poem on a separate sheet.
October:
Members are invited to submit a piece of fiction or non-fiction.
Length: 1,500 words to 2,000 - upper and lower leeway of 10 words.
Title: Your title but MUST include 'Library'
Genre: History
Must include three words: butchered - pellucid - hovering...
November:
Chairman’s 1000 word Challenge:
Subject: Write to a theme. AN HEROIC EVENT.
This can be in the form of a letter describing an event seen by your character, be it a battle, an execution, an incident on the road, or at sea, or an episode in a romance, or an article. But all entries must have the BODY of the narrative limited to 1000 word, do not count the title.
December:
No Competition
All competitions for members only; all entries free at present.
MAXIMUM TWO ENTRIES for all competitions.
SHORT STORIES should not be more than 1,500 words; unless otherwise stated as the programme rolls through the year. There will be variations.
POEMS maximum number of lines may vary - see each competition for detail
FLASH FICTION AND CHAIRMAN's CHALLENGE STRICT EXACT WORD COUNT not counting title and author.
All competition entries should not have been published, either in The Author or elsewhere.
All competitions are strictly for SCPSW members.
Join in order to enter - eligible writers include serving or retired members of the Civil Service, Armed Forces, National Health Service, Local Government, the Police Forces or any Public Service.
Details of membership HERE.
COMPETITION ENTRY GUIDELINES
ALL ENTRIES to:
michaelround@blueyonder.co.uk
All entries should preferably be sent on-line as an EDITABLE WORD.doc attachment to an email. (NO pdfs.)
Please put the author's name beneath the title.
NOTE: We do not use pen names for the competitions.
HARD COPY entries may also be sent but must be typed on A4 paper. SINGLE SPACING.
Entries will only be returned if accompanied by SAE.
Details also can be found in AUTHOR.
BUT PLEASE AVOID SENDING BY POST IF YOU CAN AS REPRODUCTION IS VERY POOR.