Sussex-wide writing competition wants your lockdown stories

Spokeswoman Patricia Feinberg Stoner explained: “Write a story about surviving the pandemic in our beautiful part of the world. Weave the landscape into your imagination; be sad, be funny, be insightful.

“What have your days indoors been like? Where have you been that you looked at afresh? You could win £100 (second prize: £75 and third prize: £50).

“Worthing WOW is a registered charity whose remit is to promote arts, culture and heritage in Sussex.

“Melody Bridges is the founder of WOW and she felt that in these times of COVID and lockdown, WOW has a role to play in supporting and encouraging writers in Sussex.

“Because WOW is regionally focused, the competition aims not only to encourage writing in general, but specifically to reflect our county and, as it were, to show the writer in the landscape.”

“In my experience, a lot of writers have found lockdown therapeutic.

“I know of at least two authors who have produced a new book over these past months, and the Facebook groups for writers that I belong to are mainly buzzing and upbeat.

“But writing is a lonely business and depression and self-doubt can creep in. Having something like a competition to focus on can help with that.”

The competition is Sussex-wide. Stories, no more than 3,000 words, should be emailed as a word or pdf document to [email protected].

The stories – just one per entrant – will be shortlisted by a reading panel, and the winners chosen by playwright and author Judy Upton.

The competition deadline is July 12 2020, and entries are free.

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