<b>The Manchester Fiction Prize 2009</b>

First prize: £10,000
Deadline for entries: 7th August 2009
Entry fee: £15

Under the direction of Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, the Writing
School at Manchester Metropolitan University is launching The
Manchester Fiction Prize – a new literary competition celebrating
excellence in creative writing.

The Manchester Fiction Prize is open internationally and will award a
cash prize of £10,000* to the writer of the best short story
submitted. The competition is open to entrants aged 16 or over; there
is no upper age limit.

A bursary for study at MMU will also be awarded to an entrant aged
18-25 as part of the Manchester Young Writer of the Year Award*.
Eligible entrants are asked to indicate on the entry form if they
would like to be considered for the Manchester Young Writer of the
Year Award in addition to the main prize.

All entrants are asked to submit a complete short story of up to 5,000
words in length. The story can be on any subject, and written in any
style, but must be new work, not published or submitted for
consideration elsewhere. The competition will be judged by
distinguished novelists and short story writers Sarah Hall, M. John
Harrison and Nicholas Royle.

The Manchester Fiction Prize celebrates the substantial cultural and
literary achievements of Manchester, building on the work of MMU's
Writing School and enhancing the city's reputation as one of Europe's
most adventurous and creative spaces. The prizes will be awarded at a
gala ceremony, held as part of the 2009 Manchester Literature
Festival.

You can enter online by going to: http://www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk

If you would like a printed entry pack for postal submission, or if
you have any queries, please contact:

James Draper
Project Manager: Writing School
Department of English
Manchester Metropolitan University
Telephone: +44 (0) 161 247 1787
E-mail: j.draper@mmu.ac.uk

*Terms and Conditions apply. See
http://www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk for full details.