Following the success of last year’s ‘The Future Unwritten Short Story Competition’ , which invited students to craft a story that speculated on the future in some way, ‘Plotting New Worlds’ gives writers the opportunity to discuss the great outdoors, which could include scenic backdrops, environmental issues, exploring nature and more.
Submissions can be up to a maximum of 2,000 words with no minimum and must be previously unpublished. The judging panel will be made up of lecturers from Bishop Grosseteste University’s Department of English, recognized by The Sunday Times and The Guardian as among the top thirty in the UK. With specialisms stretching from the Middle Ages to contemporary literature and creative writing, they will be looking for submissions that demonstrate originality, imagination, and relevance to the theme.
The winner will be awarded £250 in cash. The runner-up and the entry in third place will have a chance to receive a prize. The short stories that will awarded the first, second and third place in the competition will be published on Bishop Grosseteste University’s website. All the prizes will be announced on our website.
Dr Claudia Capancioni, Programme Leader for English, said: “After the success of last year’s competition we are delighted to run a new one for 2022.
Dr Jonathan Memel describes this year’s theme by explain that: “We chose the theme Plotting New Worlds because the outdoors have inspired writers through the ages, whether as a place of healing for the Romantics or a source of menace for dystopian novelists.
“We’re inviting all GCSE and A-level students with a passion for creative writing to follow in these literary footsteps by crafting a short story that features the outdoor world in some form.”
The English Department has been exploring the theme of ‘Plotting New Worlds’ over the past few years, including a Being Human 2020 event featuring the 2020 John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize Winner, Dr Isabel Galleymore. You can find out more about the it and be inspired by watching this video directed and produced by current students in BGU’s Department of English: https://www.bgu.ac.uk/news/students-and-lecturers-launch-new-documentary-on-their-work-to-plot-new-worlds-being-human-2020
You can also discover more listening to masterclasses that are available on our website. There is already a masterclass online that might be on interest on Thomas Hardy and the outdoors.
To find out more about the competition, including how to enter, visit: https://www.bgu.ac.uk/english-essay-writing-competition-2022