In commemoration of the annual Shelagh Delaney Day, 26 November, we are putting together a collection of short stories
The winning story will be read out loud by a professional actor. The best twenty will appear in an anthology.
There is no charge for entry to the competition.
Eligibility
You must have a connection with Salford.
This can be:
• You have lived, worked or studied in Salford.
• You currently live, work or study in Salford.
• You were born in Salford.
• You participate or have participated in leisure activities in Salford.
• You know Salford well enough to set your story there.
Theme
Shelagh Delaney was a great observer of ordinary people. So, we want stories of everyday people, the sort of people who perhaps live in Salford. You can set your story elsewhere as long as you meet one of the other eligibility criteria. You may interpret the theme of “ordinary” in any way you like.
What we’re looking for
Strong character-driven stories that show acute observation of human life similar to that found in Delaney’s works.
Stories should be between 1,000 and 3,000 words.
How to enter
Your manuscript should be double spaced, in a 12 point common font, with paragraphs indented. Please use single quotes for speech and italics for thought.
Nowhere on the manuscript should you have contact details.
Please email your work as a Word attachment to
editor@bridgehousepublishing.co.uk. In the subject of the email please include Shelagh Delaney + The title of your story e.g. Shelagh Delaney Shopping in the City. In the body of the email please include full contact details and a 50 - 100 word bio that also confirms your eligibility for the competition.
Deadlines
Last entry: 30 September 2015
Long list (20 stories for anthology): 15 October 2015
Shortlist (the six best: 25 October 2015
Top three: 30 October 2015