WE ARE BORO ANNUAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2020/21

Missing football as much as we are? In these strange, strange times, we hope you’re all keeping safe and well, and we’d love to hear your stories of the Boro in lockdown.

While we can’t gather in person to support our teams, why not put pen to paper and document this unprecedented season? We’d like to hear how you’re coping without football… what you think could happen if/when the season continues… your memories of years gone by… tall tales of your favourite Boro matches… or imaginative wonderings about what could be going on at the Riverside Stadium while we all have to stay away.

We’re looking for short stories of up to 3,000 words, based in and around Middlesbrough Football Club, the Riverside Stadium, or indeed Ayresome Park.

Stories can be:

Fiction – let your imagination run riot.

True Life – tell us the story of a real-life event, your true experiences, relating real facts about real people and real events.

Creative Non-Fiction – have full creative licence to tell a story based on real-life, but embellished, poetic, combining several different events into one story, with a mix of characters that might include some based on real people, but also some that you create.

This year we’re running two competitions:

– Under 16s

– Over 16s

The competition is free to enter, one entry per person, terms and conditions apply.

Once again, the competition will be judged by Yvonne Ferguson (Head of Supporter Services at MFC), Rob Nichols (Editor, Fly Me To The Moon) and Dave Brown (Manager, WH Smith Teesside Park).

The judges’ twenty favourite stories in each category will be published in paperback anthologies to be produced by Sixth Element Publishing. All shortlisted writers will receive a copy of the book their story appears in.

CLOSING DATE: tba… extended to 2021… more details to follow

Submitting Your ‘We Are Boro’ Story

To submit your story, download (right click and save) the entry form below:

ENTRY FORM

Fill it out digitally using Word and then send it, along with your story, to:

gillie@6e.net

You will receive a confirmation e-mail. If you have not received this within 7 working days please contact Sixth Element Publishing.

Terms and Conditions:
WE ARE BORO Short Story Competition

• All submissions to be 3000 words maximum, no minimum; the title is not included in the word count.

• All submissions must be in English.

• All submissions must be the original work of the author, must not have been published before the closing date and must be accompanied by a copy of the entry form, containing the author’s name, address, telephone number and email address.

• Submissions must not contain content that is defamatory in any way, invades privacy, is obscene, illegal or otherwise inappropriate.

• All submissions are judged anonymously; do not include your name on the document.

• Deadline for submissions is midnight on 30th September 2020.

• Submissions received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Only electronic submissions will be accepted.

• Only submissions in MS Word format, Times New Roman Font in font size 12 point and double spaced will be accepted.

• The judges’ decision is final and no individual correspondence will be entered into.

• Judging is fair and unbiased.

• All shortlisted stories will go through an edit process involving collaboration between the author and Sixth Element Publishing, whereupon Sixth Element Publishing retains final editorial control.

• Copyright remains with the author but shortlisted authors grant non-exclusive first publishing rights to Sixth Element Publishing for the story to be published in the WE ARE BORO Competition Anthology to be published in paperback, eBook and audiobook, and any subsequent collated volumes. Shortlisted authors will receive an author’s copy of the anthology.

• By entering, all entrants licence Sixth Element Publishing to edit, publish and use each entry in any and all media (including print and online) for publicity and news purposes relating to this competition.

• Entrants aged sixteen or under must have signed permission from a parent or guardian.

• Keep a copy of your entry, submissions cannot be returned.

• Only one submission per person will be considered.

SUBMISSION OF ENTRY IMPLIES ACCEPTANCE OF ALL THE RULES 
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE RULES MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION