Unity Books and Sport are stoked to announce a short story 
prize with a difference:

The Long and the Short of It

Proudly supported by Astra Print, the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, Federation Media & Ngatarawa Winery

This is the long and short of it: Nothing can destroy the story. We took it from around the fire and brought it with us through ages and pages and e-books and book burnings. Stories inspire, inquire, disrupt and explain our lives. This is your chance to write a story that moves and explains, a story worth passing on.

There are two categories: under 1,000 words and over 10,000 words.

The winner from each category will join the likes of Nigel Cox, Elizabeth Knox, Damien Wilkins, Emily Perkins, Eleanor Catton and Colm Toibin in the hallowed pages of SPORT magazine (our very own GRANTA, really) as well as receive a $1,000 Unity Books voucher to spend at their leisure (it's not like a bar tab we won't force you to binge).

OH, AND...

The top 6 will be published in a special, limited edition book; your words all bound up and passed on (well, sold) at UNITY BOOKS.

THE JUDGES...

We are proud to announce a truly stellar panel of judges:
Elizabeth Knox, Bill Manhire and Emily Perkins.

(The judges will not know the identities of the entrants)

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

We are more than just happy (really quite stoked) to inform you that the winners, as well as the Long and the Short book, will be launched & announced respectively at the 2011 Auckland Writers and Readers Festival. A free session will be held with wine and other drinks that can be had long or short.

ENTER…

Entries open on the first day of Spring (1st September 2010) and close on Christmas Eve.

Terms and conditions and entry forms can be found at:
http://unitybooks.co.nz/index.asp?s1=competitions

WHY…

‘This competition is designed to get people excited, to encourage new fingers to bang different keys: this is for the small, the strange, the beautiful, the bountiful and above all, the best.’  —Lily Richards, Brand Manager for Unity Books Auckland

‘We want to eliminate boring “competition stories” and challenge writers to work in the territories that produce so much of the best contemporary fiction, by writers like Lydia Davis or Alice Munro.’ — Fergus Barrowman, Editor and Publisher of SPORT

For further information please contact:

Lily Richards
Brand Manager for Unity Books Auckland
lily@unitybooks.co.nz

Fergus Barrowman
Editor and Publisher of SPORT
Ph 04 4636526
Mob 027 8137771
Email Fergus.barrowman@vuw.ac.nz