Visiting the site? Like what you see? Why not submit your name e mail, address and a brief 30 word writer’s bio by e mail and join us? We welcome submissions/ suggestions including favourite writers links - anything connected with writing.

Get back in touch if you are or were one of Breakaway Writers original members:

Andrea Buckland, Anna M, Barbara Gathercole, Carl James, Carole Crickmore, Dave Benham, Frances Curnin, Gordon Thompson, Graeme K Talboys, Ian Neville, Jamie Gregory, Jeni Furse, Judith Bailey, Kate Beswick, Marina Magdalena, Mark Ward, Mick O'Keeffe, Rae Argent, Rochelle Moore

To mark Breakaway Writers second anniversary in August – I have included a selection of Writing Competitions for all visitors to this Blog.

Hay on Wye Short Story Contest
Closing date July 31st 2008
Entry £6 Theme Deception 2,000 words Prize £400, £200 and £100 Send to Hay on Wye Short Story Contest Hay and District Community Support, Oxford Road, Hay on Wye, Herefordshire HR3 5AL www.hayshortstory.com

Countryside Tales Autumn Poetry Competition
Closing date July 31st 2008
Entry Fee £3 Poems can be in any style up to 40 lines Theme: The Countryside in Autumn Prizes: £50, £25, £15. Park Publications 14 The Park, Stow on the Wold, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 1DX http://www.parkpublications.co.uk/writingcompetion.htm

Highland & Islands Short Story Association writing competition.
Closing date July 31st 2008 2,500 words per story. Entry fee £4 per entry or £10 for 3. Prizes: £300, or two of £50. Postal entries only please to
HISSAC, 20 Lochslin, Balintore, Easter Ross, Scotland IV20 1UP http://www.hissac.co.uk/2005_competition.html

Winter Witch ‘Nightmares and Dreams’ Competition
Closing date July 31st 2008
Entry Fee £4. Asks for stories up to 5,000 words and poems 50 lines or below
Prizes Adults - £100 and 3 x £25 Under 16s - £50 and 3 x £15. Winter Witch Books, 3 Stoneybeck Cottages, Broughton Cross, Cockermouth, Cumbria. CA13 0TX. http://www.winterwitch.co.uk/news1.html

Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2008
Closing date August 1st 2008.
Entry 15 Euros Asks for 3000-word fiction, three poems of up to forty lines, or one poem of up to one hundred lines. All entries must be typed Prize 600 Euro, featured reader at an Over The Edge: Open Reading, in Galway and the title Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2008. Send entries to Over The Edge, New Writer of the Year competition, 3 Carbry Road, Newcastle, Galway, Ireland http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com/

Bill Naughton Short Story Competition.
Closing date 5th September 2008
Entry Fee £5 (7 euro). This asks for stories of up to 2,500 words which show similarities to the work of Bill Naughton (Check website for details). Prizes of 200, 130, 65 euros will be presented at the Kenny Naughton Autumn School. with the ten best stories to be published. Send entries to Bill Naughton Short Story Competition, Box No 2008, Aghamore, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, Ireland.
http://www.aghamoreireland.com/kennynaughton/shortstory.htm

British Science Fiction Association Short Story Competition.
Closing date: (noon) 5th September 2008.
Entry Fee: £10. Sci-fi stories of up to 8,000 words. Generous first Prize £500. Runners up - £50. BSFA Short Story Competition
48 Spooners Drive, Park Street, St Albans, Herts, AL2 2HL Entries also via e mail
http://www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa/website/competition.aspx

Creative Competitor First Chapter Competition.
Closing date 27th September 2008
Entry Fee: £4. Requires the first chapter of a novel in any genre between 3,000 and 6,000 words. Prizes: £150, £100, £50. All entries receive a free critique. Creative Competitor First Chapter Competition, Savannah House, 26 Burford Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 8AW
http://www.creative-competitor.co.uk/competitions.htm

Write Space Short Story Competition
Closing date September 30th 2008
Entry fee £6 Stories of 1500 words on the theme of “Weather”. Prizes £250, £200, £150 Entry forms SAE to: Write Space, Rivendell, St Clether, Launceston, Cornwall. PL15 8QH
http://www.writespace.co.uk/html/competition.html

Words Magazine Short Story Competition
Closing date September 30th 2008
Entry fee £2 per story. Theme "Ghost Up to 2,000 words Prize: £100. Details and entry form WORDS (Entry forms), PO Box 13574, London W9 3FX
http://www.wordsmag.com/compcal08.htm

Earlyworks Press Open Short Story Competition
Closing date 30th September 2008.
Entry fee £5.00 per 4 000 words. Max length 8000 words. Prize £100 1st prize plus publication for best entries. Earlyworks Press, Creative Media Centre, 45 Robertson Street, Hastings Sussex TN34 1HL http://www.earlyworkspress.co.uk/Competitions.htm

Creative Competitor 24 Hour Fiction Competition
Closing date 5th October 2008
Entry Fee: £3.50 sign up before 5th October to receive an email asking you to write a story based on a theme in just 24 hours. 1st Prize: £100 2nd Prize: £75 3rd Prize: 6 month subscription to Creative Competitor (worth £25) 24 Hour Fiction Competition Savannah House, 26 Burford Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 8AW
http://www.creative-competitor.co.uk/competitions.htm

H.E. Bates Short Story Competition 2008
Closing date 6th October 2008
Entry Fee: £3. If you loved The Darling Buds of May and Love for Lydia then this competition is for you. As many stories as you wish – each stories of up to 2,000 words on any subject Prizes: £200, £150, £100. (sae) Kate Wilkinson, Literature Development Officer, Arts Development Team, NCC, Music & Performing Arts Centre, 125-129 Kettering Road, Northampton NN1 4AZ http://litnorthants.wordpress.com/opportunities/

Ragged Raven Press Eleventh Poetry Competition
Closing date October 31st 2008.
Entry fee £3 per poem, £10 for 4 poems. Asks for poems of any length and on any subject. First prize £300, four runners-up prizes of £50. Selected entries published in anthology. Entry form/details - send sae to 1 Lodge Farm, Snitterfield, Stratford-on-Avon, Warks CV37 0LR. www.raggedraven.co.uk

Speakeasy Open Creative Writing Competition
Closing date October 31st 2008.
Entry Fee: £4 for poetry £5 for stories. Poems Maximum 60 lines Stories 2,100 words Speakeasy Competition 2008, 46 Wealdstone Place, Springfield, Milton Keynes, MK6 3JG http://www.mkweb.co.uk/Speakeasy/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=58082

Scribble Annual Themed Short Story Competition
Closing date November 1st 2008.
Entry Fee: £4. The theme - Brief Encounter - up to 3,000 words. Story should not be called Brief Encounter. Prizes £100, £50, £25. Park Publications 14 The Park, Stow on the Wold, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 1DX http://www.parkpublications.co.uk/writingcompetion.htm

Carillon Magazine Poetry Competition
Closing date November 1st 2008.
Entry £2 each or £3 for three. Poems of between 15 and 20 lines on the theme of Silence. Prizes: £80, £40, £20, £10. Entries to Graham Rippon, 19 Godric Drive, Brinsworth,Rotherham, South Yorkshire,S60 5AN
http://www.carillonmag.org.uk/page11.html

James W Hackett International Haiku Award
Closing date 30th November 2008.
Entry Fee £3 for up to three entries, £1 thereafter. Two winning prizes of £70 and a year’s subscription to The British Haiku Society. Hackett Award, Newton House, Holt Rd, North Elmham, Norfolk NR20 5JQ
http://www.haikusoc.ndo.co.uk/

Creative Competitor Humorous Poetry Competition
Closing Date 6th December 2008
Entry Fee: £2.00 Poem maximum 40 lines. Prizes £ 70 and £30 3rd Prize: Free Critique (story, article or e-book worth up to £20) Humorous Poetry Competition Savannah House, 26 Burford Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 8AW
http://www.creative-competitor.co.uk/competitions.htm

Words Magazine Short Story Competition
Closing date December 31st 2008
Entry fee £2 per story. “Author's Choice” - 2000 words. Prize: £100. Details and entry form WORDS (Entry forms), PO Box 13574, London W9 3FX
http://www.wordsmag.com/compcal08.htm

Established Autumn 2006

Until next time