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West Dean College and Myriad Editions are pleased to announce the third annual competition for writers.
The prize is designed to allow the winner the chance to write undisturbed in the luxurious surroundings of West Dean College. The winner will be entitled to a one week writing retreat, with full board, at West Dean, situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty six miles north of Chichester, South East England.
The winner will also have the chance to discuss their work with Myriad’s Fiction Editor, Vicky Blunden.
The winning entry will be an extract from a narrative work in progress – novel, collection of short stories or script – and will be chosen purely on the strength and promise of the writing by a panel of expert judges, including:
Nina de la Mer, author of 4 a.m. ('Mesmerizing...' John Niven). An extract from 4 a.m. was shortlisted for the Writer's Retreat Competition in 2010, and Myriad published the finished novel in 2011.
Greg Mosse, writer and tutor of creative writing courses at West Dean College
Cathryn Summerhayes, literary agent at William Morris Endeavor
Tinge Krishnan, BAFTA-winning director of Shadowscan and Junkhearts
Vicky Blunden, fiction editor, Myriad Editions
The shortlist will be announced in March 2012 at the Chichester Writing Festival and the winner announced in May 2012 at an event in Brighton.
Nestled within the South Downs near Chichester is the 6,400 acre West Dean Estate which is home to West Dean College. The peace and tranquillity of the landscape, coupled with the exciting and rich cultural and artistic history of the College and its founder, patron and poet Edward James, offers a stimulating atmosphere to get you writing.
West Dean’s creative writing programme is run by Greg Mosse and Kate Mosse, both successful writers and experienced teachers. Kate is the author of the bestselling novels Labyrinth and Sepulchre, co-founder of the Orange Prize for Fiction and the presenter of Radio 4’s ‘A Good Read’. Greg Mosse has published works of history, science fiction, children’s stories and literary translation.
The competition is open to all writers of prose fiction, previously published or otherwise. Submissions of a one page synopsis and up to 5,000 words of a work in progress (novel, short story collection or script) should be sent by post, with a covering letter and a cheque for £5 (made payable to Myriad Editions) to:
'West Dean Competition', Myriad Editions, 59 Lansdowne Place, Brighton BN3 1FL
Alternatively the fee can be paid via PayPal using the email address: info@myriadeditions.com
Please make sure that your name, address, email address and contact number are included in your cover letter, but not on each page of the work itself. Submitted material will not be returned.
The closing date is 10th February 2012.
The shortlist will be decided in March and the winner will be announced in May 2012.
In 2012 the competition judges (see below) – The Cloths of Heaven author Sue Eckstein, literary agent Hannah Westland and editor of Waterstone’s Books Quarterly magazine Ed Wood – appeared with Vicky Blunden and Greg Mosse at a packed Brighton Festival event to debate the tricky question of judging writing, and to attempt to demystify the publishing industry.
