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Mslexia Competition Entry
MSLEXIA WOMEN'S WRITING COMPETITIONS
Mslexia runs two writing competitions: the poetry competition, established in 2004, for poems of up to 40 lines; and after a successful inaugural year in 2009, the short story competition for stories of up to 2,200 words. Prizes for the competitions are substantial and past judges include Helen Simpson and Tracy Chevalier for the short story competition; and Carol Ann Duffy, Wendy Cope and Ruth Padel for the Poetry Competition. Winning entries are all published in the magazine.
The 2012 Women's Short Story Competition is for stories of up to 2,200 words and is now open for entries. Judge: Tessa Hadley. First prize: £2,000, Second prize: £500, Third prize: £250, Three other finalists win £100 each. All winning stories will be published in Mslexia. Closing date: 19 March 2012.
The 2011 Women's Novel Competition for unpublished writers is now closed for entries. Shortlisted novelists will be contacted in late October for their full manuscripts. Prize £5,000. Judging panel: Clare Alexander, Jenni Murray and Sarah Waters. Read more ≫
The 2011 Women's Poetry Competition is closed for entries. Winners have been notified and will be announced in the upcoming Oct/Nov/Dec 2011 issue of Mslexia. First prize is now £2,000 plus a week at the idyllic poets' retreat of Cove Park, and a mentoring afternoon with the editor of the premier poetry magazine, Poetry Review. Judge: Jo Shapcott. Read more ≫
SEVEN YEARS OF THE MSLEXIA WOMEN'S POETRY COMPETITION
The widower and his clothes by Margaret Livingston (Vicki Feaver – 2010)
The Inland Waterways (IW) by Sarah Roby (Ruth Padel – 2009)
A Song of Jean by Sibyl Ruth (Carol Ann Duffy – 2008)
Too close by Ann Alexander (UA Fanthorpe and RV Bailey – 2007)
For a plain man by Marianne Burton (Wendy Cope – 2006)
Buffalo Mozarella by Polly Clark (Jo Shapcott – 2005)
Women by Polly Clark (Selima Hill – 2004)
THREE years of the MSLEXIA WOMEN'S SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Concessions by Cate Bailey (Jackie Kay – 2011)
Love: A Painting by Sarah Klenbort (Tracy Chevalier – 2010)
Wiggy by Beda Higgins (Helen Simpson – 2009)
On Winning...
"It has given me a new confidence in my writing" - Margaret Livingston
Read what the short story winners say about their experience of the 2011 Mslexia Short Story competition; and what the poets say about being placed in the 2010 Mslexia Poetry Competition by judge Vicki Feaver.
Contact Us
For more information please call +44 (0) 191 233 3860 or email postbag@mslexia.co.uk
INSPIRATIONS
New writing exercises are devised as inspiration for competition entries each year. Polish up your novel manuscript with suggestions by Rose Gaete in Quick Fix Fiction, give your story a facelift by following the writing exercises devised by Margaret Wilkinson especially for the 2011 short story competition, or try your hand at our series of poetry workshops devised by Jane Holland.
CRITIQUING SERVICE!
Mslexia runs a professional critiquing service available for stories entered into the short story competition. Read more ≫
CREATIVE SPARK
An exercise devised by MARGARET WILKINSON to kickstart a story
A short story should chronicle a change.
- Visualise an object in your hand (a hat, a pencil, a book…), then imagine it transformed in some way (squashed, broken, painted blue…). Now create a story that contains and explains the transformation.
- Write a story in which a character makes a prediction – and then the opposite happens.
- Skim-read a newspaper for a headline that intrigues you. Construct a series of events leading up to that headline, and write about them.
- Imagine yourself alone and happy in a place you love. A person you know but dislike interrupts to tell or give you something.
What happens next?
More…
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