Fish Short Memoir Writing Contest 2011/12
Summary - Prizes - The Rules - Entry Fees - How to Enter
David Shields, the Judge for the inaugural Fish Short Memoir Contest famously said - It's all in the art, you get no credit for living. Isn't that the case? It is often said that everyone has a novel in them, even if it is only one. Not true. But everyone must have a memoir. Not an autobiography. Too many rules. Too much adherence to fact, to structure, to convention. A memoir gives licence - to interpret, to create, to fabricate, to make sense of a life, or part of that life. Go for it! Write a piece of your life, send it to Fish. Who knows, it might be published. David Shields might look at it and think that this life, this piece of writing, has something that needs to be said. Needs to be heard. Might be the start of something.
The Fish Short Memoir Contest is a new venture. A chance to get your memoir published in the 2012 Fish Anthology. The Anthology will be launched during the West Cork Literary Festival, Bantry in July 2012.
David Shields, author of "Reality Hunger" (will be selecting 10 memoirs to be published in the 2012 anthology.
The Fish Short Memoir Contest welcomes memoirs written in English, with a maximum of 4,000 words.
Publication in the Fish Anthology has been a stepping stone for many writers into successful writing careers. For a sample of these authors click Alumni.
To view our catalogue of anthologies click Fish Books.
Please note: If you would like to refine your Memoir writing skills, you might like to take advantage of the MEMOIR WRITING COURSE we offer.
Summary - Prizes - The Rules - Entry Fees - How to Enter
Competition Summary 2011/12
Opens: 1st Aug 2011
Closing date: 30th January 2012
Results announced: 1st March 2012
Anthology published: July 2012Judge: David Shields.
Prizes
The winner and nine runners-up will be published in the 2012 Fish Anthology.First Prize - €2,000 - (of which €1,000 is for travel expenses to the launch of the Anthology.)
Second Prize – one week’s accommodation at Writers’ Retreat Casa Ana, Las Alpujarras, Spain plus €300 towards travel expenses.
The Rules
No entry form is needed. Entry is mostly on-line, or by post if required.
You may enter as many times as you wish.
The competition is open to writers of any nationality writing in English.
There is no restriction on theme or style.
Maximum number of words is 4,000.
The winning memoirs must be available for the anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously.
Fish holds publishing rights for one year after publication. Copyright then reverts to the author.
Notification of receipt of entry will normally be by email.
The judges' verdict is final.
No correspondence will be entered into once work has been submitted.
Memoirs cannot be altered or changed after they have been entered. Judging at all stages is anonymous. Names or addresses must not appear on the stories, but on a separate sheet if entering by post, or in the appropriate place if entering online.
The memoir competition is open to writers of any nationality writing in English.
Overall winners of the Fish Short Memoir Prize may enter again, but will not be eligible for the first prize
A writer who has had two memoirs in Fish Anthologies from the Short Memoir Prize, may not enter for three years. They may enter other Fish Prizes in that time. (This is designed to give opportunities to emerging writers)
Entry is taken to be acceptance of these rules
Short Memoir Entry Fees
Online Entry
€Subsequent Online Entry/ies
€Per Entry
15.00
10.00
Critique (Optional)
40.00
40.00
2011 Fish Anthology
(Buy Online)
12.00 (Inc. p. & p.)
Postal Entry Fees
How to Enter
You can enter online or by post. The cheaper option is to enter online.
Online Entries
To Enter online, simply submit your story(ies) through our online entry system on our website. Please do not send stories as email attachments.
MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THE STORY. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL SHORT-LISTING AND JUDGING IS DONE ANONYMOUSLY. YOUR STORY IS AUTOMATICALLY LINKED TO YOUR AUTHOR NAME IN THE SYSTEM.
If you have any difficulty submitting your story, post your problem at Feedback and Support.
Postal EntriesPost to: Fish Memoir Prize, Durrus, Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Print on one side of the page only in reasonable sized type. The Fish Prize is judged anonymously, so please do not put your name or any contact details on any of the story pages. Include all contact details on a separate sheet. Receipt of entry will be by email. Stories will not be returned.
Short Memoir Postal Entry Fees
1st Postal Entry
€Subsequent Postal Entries
€Per Entry
17.00
12.00
Critique (Optional)
42.00
42.00
2011 Fish Anthology
(Buy Online)
12.00 (Inc. p. & p.)
Cost €17 or equivalent in the currency of your country. Subsequent entries have a reduced fee of €12. Do not sent postal orders (outside Ireland), or cheques made out in Euros if you are outside the Euro zone.
Cost of postal critique €42, or entry and critique €59.
Casa Ana in Las Alpujarras, southern Spain, regularly offers Writers Retreats: here you’ll find a room of your own, inspiring surroundings, good food and the company of other writers.
Casa Ana is a 400-year old house in the Alpujarras mountains of Andalucia. Once an important family home with a wine press, olive oil store, barns and stables, Casa Ana has been transformed into a stylish and comfortable rural retreat with south-facing terraces, a garden and spectacular river gorge views.
(Full board is included in the 2nd prize week's stay at this stunning retreat)
