In my most recent interview with Margaret Busby, (read it here) she talked about the SI Leeds Literary Prize – she is a judge. This is a new prize for unpublished work from Black and Asian women writers. Margaret was at the Black Book Swap event and gave me more information about the prize and which I promptly misplaced. However with the help of the organisers of the prize - publishers Peepal Tree Press, I’m back on track. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the prize.
The deadline for entries is Friday 1 June 2012. Good luck!
Q: I’m a published writer - am I still eligible to enter the prize?
A: Yes - published and unpublished writers are eligible, so long as the manuscript submitted has not been published.
Q: My manuscript has been published online - does this count as being published?
A: If your work is available online free of charge, this is eligible for submission to the prize. Manuscripts currently available for sale online, either in full or significant proportion (i.e. more than 50% of the total manuscript) are ineligible - sorry.
Q: I have written more than 30,000 words but my book is not yet finished. Do I have to submit the full manuscript?
A: Yes - the prize is only open to complete and finished manuscripts. The deadline for submissions is 1 June 2012, so you have plenty of time to complete your work.
Q: Is work which has been translated from English and published in another language, but which has not been published in English, eligible for entry?
A: Yes, work translated from English and published in another language, but which has not yet been published in English, is eligible for entry, provided that it meets the stated criteria for originality - i.e that the work in English is the author's own original work.
Q: I am a UK based woman but I am not sure if I am eligible to enter because of my ethnicity. Can you help?
A: The prize is open to a broad range of ethnicities, as self-defined by entrants. See the website for full details: SI Literary Prize
Q: How do I enter?
A: Use the entry form and cover sheet available to download on the prize website and before you enter, check the terms and conditions of the prize, also on the website. All entries are judged anonymously, so you need to ensure your entry is submitted in the right format. Send your entry together with your fee of £15 to the address given on the website: How to enter
In my most recent interview with Margaret Busby, (read it here) she talked about the SI Leeds Literary Prize – she is a judge. This is a new prize for unpublished work from Black and Asian women writers. Margaret was at the Black Book Swap event and gave me more information about the prize and which I promptly misplaced. However with the help of the organisers of the prize - publishers Peepal Tree Press, I’m back on track. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the prize.