City of Stories Home Competition

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City of Stories Home has launched 33 free online writing workshops throughout February and all Londoners who participate are invited to enter the City of Stories Home competition for stories of up to 500 words on the theme of ‘Home’. 

Our judges, the City of Stories writers-in-residence, Natasha Brown, Jarred McGinnis, Caleb Azumah Nelson and Amer Anwar are looking for your 500 word short stories. The competition is free to enter and is open for entries from 1 February 2022 – 3 March 2022. Read the judges’ top tips for writing your story here.

If your story wins, you will:

  • Be published in the City of Stories Home anthology;

  • Get a place at a StoryLab masterclass in May 2022 where you can work on your writing with the City of Stories Home Writers in Residence. (Lunch and travel expenses of up to £15 will be provided);

  • Get the opportunity to read your winning story at the City of Stories Home events in June. 

If your story is highly commended you will be published in the City of Stories anthology and be invited to read your winning story at the celebration events too.

How to enter your story:

You can enter your story in one of the following ways:

  1. Submit your story via Submittable: spreadtheword.submittable.com/submit/213722/city-of-stories-home-2022 

If you would like to enter your story by audio or video file, you can choose to do that via our Submittable link above. The same rules apply (500 words on the theme of ‘home’). Stories entered via audio or video that are selected for publication in the anthology will be transcribed into text for the anthology.

2. Post to Spread the Word: Attach your story to the competition entry form and send to: City of Stories Competition, Spread the Word, The Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG.

Find out when workshops take place here and book your free place: www.spreadtheword.org.uk/city-of-stories-home-workshops/

Please make sure that your story is entered by the deadline: 11.59pm on Thursday 3 March

Competition Rules

  • The City of Stories Home competition is for stories of up to 500 words on the theme of ‘home’. You can use the theme home as literally or as imaginatively as you wish.

  • All entrants must have attended a free City of Stories Home workshop in February 2022, be aged 18 or over and live in London.

  • Individuals can enter up to two stories each.

  • Entered stories should be previously unpublished.
  • If you would like to enter your story by audio or video file, you can choose to do that via our online entry form. The same rules apply (500 words on the theme of ‘home’). Stories entered via audio or video that are selected for publication in the anthology will be transcribed into text for the anthology.

  • The judges’ decision is final, and we are not able to provide feedback to entrants.

  • Entries received after the closing date of 11.59pm on Thursday 3 March will not be eligible.

  • Winners and highly commended writers agree to have their work published in the City of Stories Home anthology, due for publication by Spread the Word and London Libraries in June 2022.

Good luck and we’re looking forward to reading your stories!

 

Published 12 January 2022