Introducing the Buzz Words Short Story Prize for 2018
[Update: Winners for 2018 have been announced here]The Buzz Words Short Story Prize is a new annual prize of $1,000 awarded to recognise excellence in short story writing for children. The story must be suitable for readers 8 to 11 years.
‘Writing
is like watermelon- you don't know how much fun it is till you try So just like
showing you a plate of crisp, cold watermelon slices, this competition is to
tempt adults writing for children across Australia to see how much fun they can
have when they can write whatever they want to. When you write a story you can
go anywhere, and be anyone...and once the imagination muscles are working, you
will be surprised are the unexpected places they will take you.’ - Jackie
FrenchThe three short-listing judges are Cathie Tasker, who has worked with Australia’s leading trade and children’s book publishers (HarperCollins Publishers, Scholastic Australia and Koala Books) and who teaches the very successful writing course, Short Story Essentials at the Australian Writers Centre, author Bill Condon, winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for Youth Literature and three times winner of the CBCA Honour Book of the Year, and author Dianne Bates, recipient of the Lady Cutler Award for distinguished services for children’s literature and founder of Buzz Words Magazine.
The sponsor is Dianne Bates.
I
decided to sponsor the inaugural Buzz Words Short Story Prize because as far as
I know, there is no such national competition in Australia to showcase what
Australian children’s writers are capable of. - Dianne (Di) Bates
Please read the Terms and Conditions on the Entry Form carefully before entering.
Download Entry Form: here
Pay Entry Fee here:
Terms and Conditions
1.
The
manuscript must be an original short story of up to 1,500 words for children aged 8 to 11 years and must be
written in English by an Australian adult.
2.
Your
submitted work must not have been published or under option to any publisher.
It is a condition of entry that Buzz Words has the right to publish the winning
entries on its website www.buzzwordsmagazine.com
3.
The
competition is open to living writers who are permanent residents of Australia
as 1 September 2019.
4.
In
entering the competition, you warrant that:
(i)
That
the entry is an original work
(ii)
That
it is in no way whatever an infringement of any existing copyright or licence
or any other right of any person
(iii)
You
accept the conditions of entry as prescribed
5.
Each
entry must be received by post, and must contain the following:
(I)
A
completed entry form, available from the Buzz
Words website
(II)
The
complete manuscript in Times Roman 12 point, double-spacing with a title page
showing the story title only
(III)
Entry
fee of $10 or evidence of payment by PayPal (PayPal receipt).
6.
Entries
must be posted to Buzz Words Prize, PO Box 106 Woonona 2517. The Buzz Words
Prize is open to submissions from Saturday 1 September 2018. All entries must
be received by Buzz Words no later than 4pm Monday 31 December 2018.
7.
An
author may submit up to three entries, but each entry must be accompanied by an
entry form and fee (or evidence of fee having been paid).
8.
The
winners will be notified by phone and/or email. The winner will be announced on
the Buzz Words website and in the Buzz Words magazine on 15 February 2019. The shortlist will be announced on 1 February 2019.
9.
Chance
plays no part in determining the winner. The judges’ decision is final, and no
correspondence will be entered into either during or after the judging period.
10.
The
first prize winner receives $1,000 cash; the second prize winner receives $500
cash.
11.
Entries
will not be returned. Keep a copy of your entry for your own reference.
12.
Buzz
Words takes no responsibility for lost or misdirected entries.
13.
The
winning entries will be published on the Buzz Words website.
14.
Copyright
in each work remains with the writer.
15.
The
sponsor of this competition is Buzz Words founder and compiler, Dianne (Di)
Bates, ABN 36 053 912 442. PO Box 106 Woonona 2517.
.
