The creative minds of writers across the Sunshine Coast will be put to the test once again for the 2011 Sunshine Coast Literary Association’s Annual Writers Competition.
President of the SCLA, Bryan Ward said the competition was fierce last year, demonstrating the amazing abilities of writers on the Sunshine Coast.
Entries to the Writers Competition are now open and close on Friday, 29 April. The competition is open to aspiring writers in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie area, with six entry categories including junior short story, junior poem, young adult short story, young adult poem, open short story and open poem.
“This year we hosted a Short Story Summer School on February 3 and 10, which aimed to prepare entrants for the competition and get their ‘writing juices flowing’,” Bryan said.
“The competition is designed to provide an outlet for talented writers to showcase their work to their peers and receive valuable feedback from professional and accomplished writers,” he said.
There are six categories in this year’s competition including:
- Category 1: Open Short Story, to a maximum of 2500 words.
- Category 2: Open Poem, to a maximum of 40 lines.
- Category 3: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Short Story, to a maximum of 1500 words.
- Category 4: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Poem, to a maximum of 40 lines.
- Category 5: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Short Story, to a maximum of 1000 words.
- Category 6: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Poem, to a maximum of 20 lines.
There are some great prizes up for grabs with each category having a $200 first prize, $50 second prize, a $25 Sunshine Plaza voucher for the top highly commended entry. All winners will also receive a certificate.
All category winners will receive$200, with second place with $50 and Highly Commended entries. A panel of experienced judges decide on the winners, which will be announced at the WARM Writing Competition Dinner on Thursday, 23 June. More details regarding the event will be available closer to the date.
The Sunshine Coast Literary Association is a not-for-profit association dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and celebrating literary talent throughout the Sunshine Coast region.
“The WARM Writing Competition was first held in 2007 and has been run every year since 2009 so it is becoming a key part of the Association’s character,” Bryan said.
“We encourage everyone to have a go, you never know, maybe they will discover a hidden talent,” Bryan said.
This year, the University of the Sunshine Coast is sponsoring the Young Adult Short Story category of the competition. More sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information email info@scliterary.org.
Each entry is $5 with a maximum of three entries per candidate. Entry forms and details are available online at the SCLA website, www.scliterary.org, or by emailing info@scliterary.org. All entries must be received by 29th April 2011.
