Brighton-based
charity Creative Future has launched a national competition to discover the
best writers from disadvantaged groups who find it hard to get their work
recognised.
The
judging panel will be led by best-selling poet, playwright and broadcaster Lemn
Sissay, who spent his childhood in care and who will present the prizes at an
award ceremony at Charleston House, East Sussex, in September during the Small
Wonder literary festival.
The Creative Future Literary Awards
has prizes totaling £5,000 and is open to short stories and poetry from writers
in marginalised groups including homeless people, those with physical and
learning disabilities, as well as those with mental health or substance misuse
issues, the long-term unemployed, carers, ex-offenders and refugees.
The
competition theme is “The Spark” and is divided into two sections: Flash
fiction for short stories of 300 words maximum, and poems of 200 words maximum,
with a deadline for entries of midday on June 16, 2013.
There’s
an entry fee of £5, or £15 to include a critique of the submitted work.
There
will be a total of 20 award winners and prizes include cash as well as
membership and mentoring at New Writing South, Brighton, which is dedicated to
inspiring and nurturing creative writers throughout South East England.
Winners
will get to read their work at the award ceremony and successful entries will
be published in an award anthology.
Creative
Future Project Director, Dominique De-Light, says: “The association with
well-known authors, publication and national coverage will ensure that winning
writers will experience greatly boosted self-esteem, acknowledgement of their
writing skill and increased opportunities”.
The
charity already runs two other events to promote the work of disabled and
marginalised writers and artists in the South East: The Impact Art Fair, the
only art fair in the UK solely featuring the work of disabled and disadvantaged
artists, and The Tight Modern, a miniature replica of the Tate Modern
highlighting 50 disabled artists.
Anyone
interested in entering the literary competition can get more details and apply
for an entry form at info@creativefuture.org.uk.
Check cfliteraryawards.wordpress.com for more details
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