Submissions are invited for The 20th Elmbridge Literary Competition 2025. The last date of submission is February 24, 2025.
About the Trust
The RC Sherriff Trust works to advance the arts across the Borough of Elmbridge (Surrey, UK) by creating a vibrant, thriving and accessible arts scene for the whole community.
The Elmbridge Literary Competition is run in partnership by The R C Sherriff Trust and Elmbridge Borough Council.
Competition Details
Whether winding through the great cities of the world, or meandering across quiet country landscapes, Rivers have fascinated writers and poets. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Death of RC Sherriff and the Anniversary of the publication of ‘Three Men In A Boat’, The 20th Elmbridge Literary Competition is looking for short stories and poems on the theme of ‘The River’.
Rivers have always flowed through literature, whether as tributaries representing the journey through life, or as passage to the Underworld. They have served as home to Mr Toad, the lair of goat-eating trolls and have been there to mess about on, as Huckleberry Finn or the three men in Jerome K Jerome’s classic story can attest. Today they are at the heart of the environmental debate. RC Sherriff, the author of ‘Journey’s End’, spent many hours on the river. A memorial to his passion for rowing, The Rowing Eight, still stands on the banks of The Thames at Molesey.
The Elmbridge Literary Competition is an International Competition open to anyone.
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.
Age Categories
- Ages 5 – 7; Little rhymes and stories.
- Ages 8 – 11 (Junior); Poems and short stories.
- Ages 11 (Secondary) – 13; Poems and short stories.
- Ages 14 – 18; Poems and short stories.
- Ages Adult; Poems and short stories.
Entry Fee
- Entries for under 18s free.
- Entry to the Elmbridge Literary Competition for adults is £8.
Submission Format
- All entries must be typed, using Arial font and double-spaced. Entries that do not adhere to these conditions will not be considered.
- Short stories must be in English, previously unpublished and a maximum length of 1000 words (8-13 years) or 1500 words (14+). Entries that do not adhere to these conditions will not be considered.
- Poems must be in English, previously unpublished and a maximum length of 30 lines typed, using Arial font and double-spaced. Entries that do not adhere to these conditions will not be considered.
- Little Rhymes and Stories for the 5-7 years group should be no longer than 20 lines (Rhymes) or 500 words (Stories) and can be hand-written (but must be legible). Where possible we suggest a typed copy is attached. The Judges will not consider any entries which they cannot read.
- Entries must be submitted as a Word Document or a PDF. Please do not send scanned PDFs.
Prizes
- All Winning, Highly Commended & Commended Entries will receive a Digital Certificate.
- All prizes for Children’s entries are in the form of book tokens. Entry to the Competition is free.
How to Submit?
Email entries to elmbridgelitcomp[at]outlook[dot]com.
Submission Deadline
The last date of submission is February 24, 2025.
Contact
Email: elmbridgelitcomp[at]outlook[dot]com
