Could You Be An Author This Christmas?
They say there is a book in all of us and after the phenomenal success of Fifty Shades (apparently author EL James is earning more than $1 million a week!!!), it is little wonder that many of us who have dreamt of being published are thinking now may be the right time to put pen to paper. But just how do you get your prose noticed. While EL James first posted her writings on Twilight Fan Fiction sites, there is a new competition for those who have a short story to tell.
The London Writers’ Club and luxury loungewear brand Hush have teamed up and are on the hunt for budding writers to create short stories with the winning entries to be published in a book.
The idea for the competition was born out of Hush founder and designer Mandy Watkins’ genuine passion for books. “For me reading is a huge part of relaxing, curling up on the sofa and losing myself in a great book is one of my favourite way’s to unwind, Mandy told Belle About Town. “It therefore seemed like a good idea to share the books I’ve loved with our customers by way of regular recommendations. We’ve been reviewing books since we launched, nine years ago and the feedback from customers has always been fantastic.
“This Christmas we are going to be selling books for the first time and we thought it would be great for one of those books to be a compilation of short stories written by our customers. I am also married to a journalist who early in our relationship promised to write me a short story, 12 years later and I’m still waiting – so if not from him there will hopefully be plenty to read from others.”
As one of the judges on the panel Mandy said she is excited about the prospect of discovering the next creative writing talent and will be looking for something that has her hooked from start to finish.
Kirsty Mclachlan and Jacqueline Burns, Directors of The London Writers Club and also on the judging panel, commented: “A perfect short story is a captivating idea brought to life; a miniature world for the reader to lose themselves in.
“We want to see stories that fizz with imagination and that introduce us to characters and settings that the best creative minds can conjure up.”
How To Enter
From Monday 17th September writers will be asked to send in stories of up to 2,000 words themed around the word ‘hush’.
The entries will then be judged by a panel of experts, and the winner will receive a £500 Hush voucher, a hush gift set and a year’s free membership to The London Writers’ Club.
Their story, along with 11 other finalists, will also be published in a book which will be available to buy on hush’s website in time for Christmas.
An online/digital version of the winning entry will also be published by Short Fire Press.
Stories must be sent in the body of an email to info@londonwritersclub.com by 31st October. The winner and finalists will be announced at the end of November.
