COSTA LAUNCHES THE COSTA SHORT STORY AWARD

Entries open from Monday 16^th July to Friday 7th September

Submissions to be judged anonymously

Winner to be voted for by public and announced at Costa Book Awards ceremony

Monday 16th July 2012: Costa today announces the launch of the Costa Short Story Award, a brand new Award for a single short story that will run in association with the Costa Book Awards but be judged independently of the main five-category system.

The new Award is for a single, previously unpublished short story of up to 4,000 words by an author aged 18 years or over and written in English.  The author’s primary residence must have been the UK or Ireland for the past three years.

Entry opens on Monday 16^th July and closes at 4pm on Friday 7^th September.  Entries must be submitted online via a dedicated page at www.costabookawards.com.  Entrants need not have been previously published but publishers and agents may submit entries on behalf of authors.

All entries will be judged anonymously – in other words, without the identity of the author being available to the judges.

A panel of five judges will select a shortlist of six entries which will be revealed in November. The public will then be invited to vote online for their favourite story from the six finalists. 

The winner will be announced at the Costa Book Awards ceremony on 29^th January 2013 and will receive £3,500; two runners-up will each receive £750.

The judges for the 2012 Costa Short Story Award are:

Richard Beard: Director of the National Academy of Writing

Fanny Blake: Novelist and Journalist; Books Editor of Woman & Home

Victoria Hislop: Writer

Gary Kemp: Songwriter and guitarist for Spandau Ballet; Actor and Writer

Simon Trewin: Agent, William Morris Endeavor

“What’s really exciting about our new Short Story Award is that it’s open to absolutely everyone,” commented Kevin Hydes, Marketing Director, Costa UK.  “For the first time, we’re able to extend the reach of the Book Awards in ways we never have before.  You don’t need a publisher or an agent to enter this competition, just an idea and writing talent and we’re encouraging anyone who has ever considered writing creatively, and those who write already, professionally or otherwise, to enter.”

The Costa Book Awards recognise the most enjoyable books of the last year by writers based in the UK and Ireland.  Originally established by Whitbread PLC in 1971, Costa announced its takeover of the sponsorship of the UK’s prestigious and popular book prize in 2006.

For more information on this year’s Costa Book Awards, go to www.costabookawards.com.