Short story competition for Years 8 to 13

Calling all wannabe authors!

The Guardian and Piccadilly Press are delighted to announce this competition to find the best teenage writing talent in the UK and Eire today.

All you have to do is write a short story – no longer than 3000 words – on the theme of The Perfect World – but you can interpret that however you like!

The best 8-10 stories received will be published in 2008 as a book call The Perfect World?

Entries will be judged by:
Jon Snow – Channel 4 presenter, writer, journalist
Liz Elwes – popular Piccadilly Press author
Joanna Carey – writer and children’s book reviewer

Please make your entry clear and typewritten in double line spacing, using only one side of each page. Entries must be no longer than 3000 words (or can be shorter if you like). Make a copy for yourself as manuscripts will not be returned. Only one entry per person.

Remember! Please put your name, age, full address, telephone number and email address on your first page. We cannot consider entries sent without complete details.

Closing date for entries is January 4th 2008 – send them earlier if you can.

Send your entry to:
The Guardian/Piccadilly Press Writing Competition
for Teenagers, 5 Castle Road, London, NW1 8PR.
Send you entries to:

Some Top Tips
We’re looking for a story about a perfect world, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be that perfect. It could be an ironic look at what would seemingly make the perfect world. It could be your own world made perfect, or a perfect world for humankind or animals. The story could be set in the past, present or future. It could be serious, satirical or humorous. Think of all the things that would make up a perfect world, pick something and write about it!

The competition is organised by Piccadilly Press Limited of 5 Castle Road, London NW1 8PR (‘Piccadilly’).

The competition is open to all residents of the UK and Eire who are in Year Eight to Year Thirteen inclusive on January 4th 2008, except previous winners and employees of /Piccadilly and their relatives. Only one entry per person. Final entry date will be January 4th 2008. The judges’ decision is final, manuscripts will not be returned and correspondence will not be entered into. Piccadilly will have the exclusive right for two years to publish any winning entry in volume form throughout the world. All published manuscripts will be edited subject to the author’s moral rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. By submitting an entry an entrant agrees to be bound by the above terms and to sign an agreement with Piccadilly (an example of which may be made available upon request) if called upon to do so. Entrants shall retain all rights in unsuccessful entries.