Admin blog posts

The shortlist for our Villain competition is here! We’ve spent the last few weeks reading entries and discovering characters that have instilled fear into our hearts – and, as ever, the shortlisting process has been very tough.

Out of this shortlist of ten, there will be two runners-up, both of whom will receive copies of judge Laura Powell’s Burn Mark and Witch Fire. The overall winner will receive signed copies of these books, as well as a copy of the Yearbook and a 20% discount on our services.

So, without further ado, our shortlisted entries are…

Struan Murray

Claire Berrisford

Rebecca Ferrier

Nev Willis

Sam Graham

Philippa Brewer

Julie Andrews

Eugene Lambert

Yasemin Kaplanbasoglu

Jennifer Moore

The three winning entries will be revealed on Friday 31st May.

Find out more about our competitions here.

So, your manuscript is finished, edited and polished to perfection – but what’s the next step? If you’re going down the traditional publishing route, then you need to find an agent who will sell your book to a publisher.

To have your manuscript picked up by a traditional publishing house and turned into a real-life, sold-in-bookstores, hold-in-your-hands-and-weep book is the dream of most writers. However, actually getting there can seem just as unlikely a prospect as it seems an attractive one.

With this in mind, we’ve teamed up with A.M. Heath literary agency (@amheathltd) for a Twitter Agony Agent session, in an effort to answer all the questions you may have. Whatever you want to know - whether that’s how to find a literary agent, the submission process, query letters or what happens after your book is picked up by an agent – they can give you the answers.

The Twitter surgery will take place on Wednesday 15th May between 4pm and 5pm GMT. Make sure you’re there to tweet …

Writing for children is a tricky business - but, as always, we’re here to help. With the entries for our Villain competition rolling in (where entrants have to create a children’s/YA villain that makes us shiver in our socks), we thought now would be the perfect time to direct you to the tips and advice on writing for children on our website and beyond.

First up, you need to decide – who exactly are you writing for? Children, yes. But what age group? The answer to this question could be the difference between a 32-page picture book, and a full-length novel aimed at 12 to 13 year olds. Very few children’s books manage to transcend the boundaries between age groups; you’ll find your job much easier if you establish who exactly your target audience is.

Of course, this will mean some self-imposed restraints on your writing before you’ve even started – but if you want to join the fabled ranks of Roald Dahl, J K Rowling and Enid Blyton, then it’s time to power on through those …

After a very tough deliberation process, the winner of our Flash Fiction challenge has been decided by judge and author Roshi Fernando.

As mentioned when the shortlist was posted, the standard of entries has been extremely high. All who entered should be proud of themselves for really capturing the feeling of alienation in such a limited number of words.

However, there can only be one winner....and this time, it is Jane Roberts, for her entry 'Silent Space'!

Roshi Fernando said of her decision to award the prize to 'Silent Space'; 'The winner manages to use so many literary fiction techniques - and paints a beautiful picture.'

The winner will receive a bundle of short story collections plus two tickets for George Saunders and Jon McGregor’s event at the Southbank Centre.

The second prize, which is a collection of signed copies of books by Jon McGregor, D W Wilson & Roshi Fernando, goes to Louis Malloy, for his entry 'All The Way From Sorrow Mountain.'

Finally, third prize, a signed …

We have received substantial feedback following the announcement of our winner for the Short Story Competition 2013 - and so, due to popular demand, we have decided to publish the stories of those who made the shortlist, in addition to the stories from the three winners.

In the following series of blog posts, you can find the stories from the shortlist of twenty. This particular post will feature the stories from Louise Chivers and Amina Mughal.

Freedom by Amina Mughal

It was a cold frosty day, a day lost in the depths of white winter snow. The air was filled with frothy pollution that covered the skies in thick black darkness. Caliya was making her way through the dark arched gates, worn out and covered with rust which resembled the heart of an oppressed Barcelona.

Inside the building, the putrid smell of dampness irritated the noses of Caliya and the reluctant juniors, who waited patiently for their microchips to be scanned. Banners and leaflets were displayed on the walls depicting …