Elmbridge Literary Competition: Celebrating the River

Annual poetry and short story competition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the death of RC Sherriff and the anniversary of the publication of ‘Three Men In A Boat’. Theme: The River.

Age Categories:

• Ages 5 – 7; Little rhymes and stories.
• Ages 8 – 11 (Junior); Poems and short stories.
• Ages 11 – 13 (Secondary); Poems and short stories.
• Ages 14 – 18; Poems and short stories.
• Ages Adult; Poems and short stories.

Submission conditions:

• The poem/short story submitted must be your own original work. Submissions will be checked for plagiarism or AI generated work.
• A maximum of one story and one poem per person can be entered.
• Short stories must be in English, previously unpublished and a maximum length of 1000 words (8-13 years) or 1500 words (14+).
• Poems must be in English, previously unpublished and a maximum length of 30 lines typed, using Arial font and double-spaced.
• Entries must be submitted as a Word Document or a PDF.

Judging: A panel of professional authors, the Director of The RC Sherriff Trust and the Arts Development Officer for Elmbridge Borough Council will judge the entries.

Prizes:

Children’s entries: Book tokens.

• 5-7 Year Olds: 1st £20, 2nd £15, 3rd £10
• 8-11 Year Olds: 1st £25, 2nd £20, 3rd £15
• 11-13 Year Olds: 1st £30, 2nd £25, 3rd £20
• 14-18 Year Olds: 1st £35, 2nd £30, 3rd £25

Adult entries: Cash prizes.

• 19+ (Short Story): 1st £250, 2nd £150, 3rd £100
• 19+ (Poem): 1st £250, 2nd £150, 3rd £100

Entry Fee: £8 for adults and under 18s entries are free

Deadline: Friday 24 February 2025 at 5pm.