The UK’s first national writing competition for marginalised and disabled writers

CREATIVE FUTURES is a Brighton based charity that supports the development of marginalised writers and artists. They do a lot of interesting stuff – including run the Tight Modern – a miniature version of the Tate Modern that features artists with a disability.

Now they have launched a far-from-ordinary writing competition that has a lot of exciting elements.

WHO CAN ENTER

CREATIVE FUTURES defines marginalised and disabled writers as those who find it difficult to access the literary world either because of mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance.

This includes people who:

• have a mental health issue

• have a physical disability

• have substance misuse issues

• be homeless

• be refugee

• be survivors of abuse

• be long term unemployed

• have a learning disability

• be carers

• be an offender or ex-offender All competition entrants will have to state how they are marginalized on the competition entry form before being accepted as a valid competition entrant.

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

 Flash Fiction (maximum 300 words) or Poetry (maximum 200 words) on the theme of SPARK

DEADLINE AND ENTRY FEE

Noon Sunday 16th June

AND THE PRIZES ARE WORTH TALKING ABOUT…

Unlike other literary competitions that offer a big cash first prize and a book token for the second place CREATIVE FUTURES has clearly thought carefully about how to encourage writers’ development.  As a result there are twenty prizes up for grabs. Half for flash fiction, half for poetry.

• 2 Platinum award winners (1 writer, 1 poet):

  £200 cash prize, New Writing South mentoring place, New Writing South membership, literary critique of work & award certificate (prize worth £1760)

  2 Gold award winners (1 writer, 1 poet):

  £150 cash prize, £100 voucher for New Writing South or Centre for Community Engagement course or event (only for those held at The Writers’ Place), New Writing South membership, literary critique of work & award certificate (prize worth £310)

  2 Silver award winners (1 writer, 1 poet):

  £100 cash prize, free place on a Creative Future course, New Writing South membership, literary critique of work & award certificate (prize worth £200)

  2 Bronze award winners (1 writer, 1 poet):

  £50 cash prize,  free place on Creative Future workshop, New Writing South membership, literary critique of work & award certificate (prize worth £170)6 Highly commended (3 writers, 3 poets):

  Literary critique of work & certificate

  6 Commended (3 writers, 3 poets):

  literary critique of work & certificate.

  If award winners do not live in the South East region of the UK, the writers’ development prizes will be sought via other writing development organisations across the UK but these cannot be guaranteed at this stage. Writers’ development prizes do not have to be taken up but these cannot be exchanged for cash.

• FIND OUT MORE by clicking HERE