An award for new and emerging short-form writers has been launched in memory of a popular Manchester-based writer and critic. The QuietManDave Prize will be run by the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, in conjunction with the Manchester School of Theatre, named in honour of Dave Murray, a keen writer and theatre blogger, and lover of flash fiction and non-fiction, who passed away last year.

In recognition of Murray’s achievements and his passion for writing that he embraced later in life, the QuietManDave Prize offers awards of £1,000 for Flash Fiction and Flash Non-Fiction under 500 words, as well as runner-up prizes. Both Prizes are open internationally to writers aged 16 or over – and we they particularly keen to encourage, discover and celebrate new writers. Sponsored entry is available for those who might not otherwise be able to participate, and you can also sponsor an entry (or entries) for someone else.

1st prize: £1,000* each for Flash Fiction (up to 500 words) and Flash Non-Fiction (up to 500 words)
Runner up prizes: 2nd £200*, 3rd £50* in each category
Entry fee: £5 (sponsored entry** available for those who might not otherwise be able to participate; you can also sponsor an entry (or entries) for someone else)

Criteria

• There are no restrictions on form – with the Flash Non-Fiction category open for everything from creative non-fiction – which weaves fact into the form of a story using the tools of fiction, to blog posts or theatre reviews, which were QuietManDave’s particular passions.
• Both prizes are open internationally to writers aged 16 or over
• There is no minimum word count. Titles, blank lines and page numbers are not included in the word count. Prologues, epigraphs, subheadings and footnotes are included in the word count.
• Submissions must be complete pieces of work rather than extracts from longer works.
• Entrants may enter pieces of writing to both prize categories, and submit as many pieces as they wish to each, but each piece must be submitted as a separate entry with a separate entry form and a separate entry fee.
• All work must be the entrant’s own original writing, and should not have been published in print or have been broadcast on or before 31st October 2020. Work which has been published on public websites, blogs or social media sites can be submitted, but must be taken down before the date of entry and must not be uploaded again on or before 31st October 2020. Work that has been circulated via, or uploaded to, closed forums (e.g. for the purposes of workshopping on writing courses) can be submitted.
• Simultaneous submissions to other competitions and for publication are permitted, provided the work is not published elsewhere before 31st October 2020. Work found to be published in print or to have been broadcast or to have appeared on a website outside of these terms will be disqualified without refund of the entry fee.
• Translations into English of work written in other languages can be accepted, provided that the source text is the entrant’s own original work and has not been published. Translations into English of work published elsewhere in other languages will not be accepted.

Deadline

Friday April 17.

https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/qmdprize/