NEW CONTEST FOR AFRICAN WRITERS

The SA/ PEN short story contest has been pimped. Better prizes AND more importantly old guys like me can enter.

PEN / STUDZINSKI Literary Award RULES OF ENTRY FOR THE PEN/STUDZINSKI LITERARY AWARD - NEW WRITING FROM AFRICA - 2009 View / Download PDF Entry Rules
1.Entries, of short stories only, for the above award will be restricted to writers who are citizens of African and Southern African Development Community (SADC*) countries. An editorial board will select the best entries for inclusion in a book to be published in 2009, under the working title "NEW WRITING FROM AFRICA". Prizes of £5 000, £3 000 and £2 000, given by John Studzinski, will be awarded for the three best short stories (winner, first runner-up and second runner-up) selected by Nobel Laureate J M Coetzee. Authors who submitted entries for the HSBC/SA PEN 2005, 2006 and 2007 Literary Awards may submit new works for the 2009 award. There is no age limit.
2.All stories must be unpublished (as at publication of book in ±May 2009), original works in English, of not less than 2 500 words and not more than 5 000 words, on any topic.
3.Previously published work, either in print or on the internet, will not be eligible for inclusion in "NEW WRITING FROM AFRICA".
4.Entries should be typed in double spacing on one side only of A4 paper. Pages should be numbered and securely fastened together. Three copies must be submitted.
5.No name, address, address or other identifying mark should appear on the typescript other than the title of the story on each page. The identity of authors will not be revealed to judges. The final page should be indicated as such, and the number of words in the story given.
6.A covering letter with story title and the name, e-mail address, postal address and fax & telephone contact details of the entrant must be included. A photocopy of ID/passport, or other proof of citizenship of and African or SADC country must be attached. Entrants may currently reside outside of Africa.
7.Entrants are advised to keep an electronic copy of their submission as this copy (which must not differ from the version of the story submitted for judging) will be required to be submitted at a later date if the story is selected for inclusion in the publication. Submissions will not be returned. An entry implies acceptance of all the rules and conditions of the project, including that of copyright. Failure to comply will result in disqualification. 8.An editorial board will be appointed by SA PEN. This board will select the entries to be included in the book. J M Coetzee will select the prizewinners for the PEN/Studzinski Literary Award. The board's decision will be final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into other than with successful entrants. All entries will be judged without author identification. SA PEN will ensure that the name of the author does not appear on material submitted to readers or the editorial board. Identity will be recorded by means of a confidential coding system. Persons involved in the administration, final judging, editing and publishing processes are not eligible to enter. Readers may, however, submit entries.
9.In all cases, the copyright shall remain with the author, but SA PEN shall reserve the right to allow stories from the book to be published in the `P.E.N. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL' or `P.E.N NEWS' or in anthology form. SA PEN reserves the right not to publish or award should the general standard of submission be unacceptable to them. Royalties on the sale of the volumes of "NEW WRITING FROM AFRICA" will not accrue to individual writers.
10.The closing date for submissions will be 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday, 30th September 2008. All entries must be posted/couriered by this date. Entries post-marked after that date will be rejected. Submissions must be posted/couriered to PEN/24 Studzinski Literary Award, P O Box 30327, Tokai, 7966, Republic of South Africa. Receipt of entry will be acknowledged by e-mail if an author requests this. Fax and e-mail entries will not be accepted.
11.SA PEN cannot undertake to make corrections or amendments to any typescript submitted. Nor, while they will take great care of typescripts, can they be responsible for any that are damaged or lost while in the post.
12."NEW WRITING FROM AFRICA" will be launched officially in ±May 2009, at a time and place to be publicised. At this function the literary prizes of £5 000, £3 000 and £2 000, exclusively the right and reserve of John Studzinski, will be awarded. SA PEN will also have the right to be directly involved in the process of distribution, marketing and promotion through all media. The book will be marketed in South Africa and will also be publicised by International PEN, which has 145 centres throughout the world. *SADC COUNTRIES Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe