Settle Storytelling Competition 2012

Settle Storytelling Competition 2012

Settle Storytelling Festival presents a competition in collaboration with social audio platform Audioboo to find Britain’s best newcomer to the ancient art of storytelling.

To commemorate 2012 being the 200th anniversary of the Brothers Grimm, the festival is asking budding storytellers to tell their own version of a fantastical Grimm’s fairy tale – like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel or Snow White.

Record and upload your entry here by July 31st 2012. Prizes include £50.00, £25.00 and £10.00 National Book Tokens. The overall winner will be invited to perform at the Storytelling Festival 2012. The Festival takes place from 11th – 14th October 2012. This year’s line-up includes award winning and international renowned storytellers. This is your chance to share the stage with them.

The Brothers Grimm wrote many of the most well known and well loved fairy stories in the world and everyone has a favourite – so pick your story, make it your own and start telling it. Let your imagination go wild, make it about your family, your friends or your school. Set it anywhere you want – anything goes – and if you’ve ever really kissed a frog, we’d love to know what happened!

To get some ideas listen to these stories:

Faustin Charles

Jamie Crawford

Dave Tong

You can also listen to last year's two winning entries by clicking the links below:

Vera Jacques, The Wooden Baby.mp3

Amelia Fawcett - The Fox and the Crow.mp3

About Audioboo

Audioboo allows people to record, submit and share audio clips online so it’s the perfect way to show off your storytelling talent.

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Competition rules:

The competition is open to anyone who does not work full time as a professional storyteller.

• Stories should be no more than five minutes long.
• Stories should be uploaded to the Audioboo channel by 31st July 2012.
• Stories must be Grimm Stories. They can be the traditional versions, or adapted in any way.

Entries must not:

• contain material which is offensive or promotes an illegal activity (e.g. underage drinking, substance abuse, computer hacking, etc.)
• include mention or performance of any copyrighted media production including but not limited to music, films, books, television programming, etc., or identifying descriptions of any media property.
• have been previously submitted to, or broadcast in, any recorded media.

Terms and Conditions

1. Prizes are non-transferable, non-negotiable and no cash alternatives will be offered.
2. Settle Stories reserves the right to substitute the prize for another prize of equal value.
3. By entering the competition, the entrant agrees to the terms of the Settle Stories privacy policy and The Settle Storytelling Competition terms and conditions.
4. By entering the competition the winner(s) consent to any publicity generated as a result of the promotion, and use at any time on the Settle Stories website.
5. Settle Stories will not accept responsibility for any entries not received through technical fault, incomplete, illegible or other damaged entries. Proof of entry is not automatically proof of receipt.
6. Settle Stories' decision in all matters relating to the competition is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
7. These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
8. All prizes are non transferable. Arrangement for the fulfilment of prizes will be made by our 3rd party sponsors. We/they reserve the right in our sole discretion to substitute any and all prizes with prizes of a comparable value. Settle Stories is not held liable in any way for the prizes given by our sponsors.
9. Settle Stories makes no warranty, express or implied, as to the merchantability or fitness for purpose of any prize offered as a result of any Settle Stories competition or promotion.

The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children's Book Award 2013

The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children's Book Award 2013

The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award 2013

The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award was founded jointly by Frances Lincoln Limited and Seven Stories, in memory of Frances Lincoln (1945-2001) to encourage and promote diversity in children’s fiction. The Award is now open for entries.

The Award is for a manuscript that celebrates cultural diversity in the widest possible sense, either in terms of its story or the ethnic and cultural origins of its author. The prize of £1,500, plus the option for Frances Lincoln Children’s Books to publish the novel, is awarded to the best work of unpublished fiction for 8-12 year-olds by a writer aged 18 years or over, who has not previously published a novel for children. The writer may have contributed to an anthology of prose or poetry. The work must be written in English and it must be a minimum of 15,000 words and a maximum of 35,000 words. Previously submitted manuscripts which were not short-listed will be considered for entry.

The purpose of the Award is to:
• Take positive steps to increase the representation of people writing from or about different cultural perspectives whose work is published in Britain today
• Promote new writing for children, especially by or about people whose culture and voice is currently under-represented
• Recognise that as children’s books shape our earliest perceptions of the world and its cultures, promoting
writing that represents diversity will contribute to social and cultural tolerance
• Support the process of writing rather than, as with the majority of prizes, promoting the publication

The closing date for the 2013 Award is Monday 31 December 2012.
For entry forms contact: E: diversevoices@sevenstories.org.uk T: 0845 271 0777
More details available at www.sevenstories.org.uk/learning/projects

RBA Short Story Competition

RBA Short Story Competition

2012 short story judge is Booker shortlisted author Clare Morrall.

1st prize £500
(approx 805 US$; €609)

2nd prize £150
(approx 241 US$; €182)

3rd prize £50
(approx 80 US$; €60)

Closing date 31st October 2012.
Entries can be on any subject but must not be longer than 3000 words. Entries can be posted or emailed to us. Please see our website for more details about the entry fee and how to enter
www.ruberybookaward.com

Neal James wows Waterstones

Waterstones - Saturday, 9th June 2012

78 - 80 St. Peters Street, Derby

Standing at the corner of St Peters Street and Babington Lane in the centre of Derby, the Waterstones branch occupies an impressive and imposing three-storey site, and was 'home' to Rob Eldridge, my editor, and I for seven hours at the weekend.

Sean Heavens, the store manager, provided a constant supply of assistance and advice throughout the day, and is seen here with copies of the only two titles which remained and the end of the event. Maybe we should have taken the picture at the start of play! 'Two Little Dicky Birds' and 'Short Stories Volume One' sold out during our stay, and the event was a wonderful success. Diary dates should be forthcoming from Sean for a return later this year.

A small shot like this cannot give the true impression of the efforts put into the various displays by Jinny, one of the Waterstones staff. The view from outside the store windows was truly impressive, and many passers-by stopped in their travels through town.

Yours truly outside the entrance to the store just prior to setting up for the day. Rob's efforts as stand-in camerman were, once more, invaluable throughout the event.

Lynn and I are frequent visitors to Derby, and pass the store many times on our various shopping expeditions. I've stood outside this window on countless occasions and wondered what it would feel like to see my books there - now I know. It's a buzz which you never forget, and sets the hairs at the back of the neck on end. There I am, at the top of the pile for everyone to see - amazing!

You inevtiably bump into friends and colleagues at events like this, and today was no exception. Here, I'm talking with fellow CIMA member Adrian Randle and his wife Cathy prior to signing their copies of two of the titles available on the day.

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As a parting comment, I must thank, once more, Waterstones in general, and the store staff in particular, for making the day such a success. Jilly I have already thanked for the displays, but she also kept Rob and I supplied with tea all day. Last but by no means least, Alison - I am very grateful for all of the preparatory work which she undertook to get the event in the diary, and for the assistance which she gave me in the weeks running up to the day itself.

Waterstones - Saturday, 21st April 2012

Bridlesmith Gate branch, Nottingham

Many thanks to Shane Maxwell-Atkin, Waterstones regional events co-ordinator, for setting up the book signing session, and to the branch staff who made both Rob Eldridge and myself very welcome during the day.

Yours truly, ready and waiting behind the superb display which the branch provided for the signing. The collage to the right was ideal for concealing a continuous supply of tea provided by the staff.

Promotional poster supplied by Pneuma Springs Ltd, my publisher, in prominent position in the front window of the Bridlesmith Gate store. Grateful thanks to Vivian for the artwork.

Up and running with the first copies of the session, and much appreciation to my editor, Rob Eldridge, for doubling up as cameraman for the day.

Sally Hindson with 'Two Little Dicky Birds' and 'Threads of Deceit' to complete her set of the Neal James collection.

A final note of thanks to all of the staff at the branch for looking after us during the day, and providing support for the event.