We are kicking off our new writing year with some exciting news!
Submissions are now invited for our annual Fiction Competition, The Frances Copping Memorial Prize 2021, named in fond remembrance of our Lifetime President who sadly passed away in 2020.
The competition is open to everyone, members of Hay Writers’ Circle and non-members too. Pieces of 600-1500 words on any fiction theme are accepted. Closing date for entries is Tuesday 16th November 2021.
Prizes are awarded for first, second and third place and this year we are delighted to announce that Parthian Books have kindly agreed to sponsor the winning cash prizes. First Prize £50.00, Second Prize £15.00 and Third Prize £10.00.
Parthian Books – Set up in 1993 and based in Cardigan, Wales, Parthian…”have always published first time fiction and aim to give new writers as much development support as we can. Our recent success includes writers such Richard Owain Roberts (Not the Booker Award Winner 2020), Alys Conran (Wales Book of the Year Winner 2017).Tristan Hughes (Stanford’s Fiction Winner 2018), and Lloyd Markham (Betty Trask Award Winner 2018) Glen James Brown (shortlisted for the Orwell Fiction Award 2019).”
Find out more about Parthian Books at http://www.parthianbooks.com
We are doubly honoured that Carly Holmes, Publishing Manager at Parthian Books has agreed to judge our Fiction competition.
Carly is an editor and has been the publishing manager with Parthian since 2019, though her involvement with us goes back to 2013 when she started taking on freelance editing projects. She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing.
Her debut novel, The Scrapbook, was shortlisted for the International Rubery Book Award and her award-winning short stories have been published in numerous journals and anthologies such as Ambit, The Ghastlingand The Lonely Crowd.
Her debut ‘Literary Strange’ short story collection, Figurehead, was published by Tartarus Press in 2018.
Before taking this role with Parthian Carly worked as a freelance editor and proof-reader for a variety of publishing houses and literary agencies, and a mentor for CW students at TSD Lampeter University. She also event-managed the Penfro literary festival for three years, and managed and hosted ‘The Cellar Bards’ spoken word events for four years.
If you wish to submit a piece, the fee is £5, payable by cheque or BACS. All details are on the entry form which you can download from this site, just click on the link below.
Remember, word count for this competition is 600 words minimum and 1500 words maximum, and the theme is entirely open, so why not put pen to paper and have a go!
The closing date for entries is Tuesday 16th November 2021.
Good Luck!
THE HAY WRITERS 