Short Story Competition 2024 Rules

• It must be in English.
• It can be fictional or non-fictional.
• It must not have been published before or submitted to another competition.
• It must be a maximum of 1500 words (not including the title). There is no minimum number of words, but your story does not have to be this long. Any script over 1500 words will not be read by the judges.
• Your submission must be on the theme of: Escape(s).
• Give your story a title which will avoid confusion with the other entries.
• Poems or other formats will not be considered.

• The story must be clearly typed or copied and pasted into the field on the entry form.
• The title must appear in the appropriate field on the submission form
• You must complete your personal details on the submission form, but your entry is anonymous to the judges. Your personal details will not be seen by the judges and your information will be deleted after the competition ends.
• Your name, u3a, or any local identifiers MUST NOT appear in your story.

• The competition is open to current members of any u3a, including Interest Groups Online. For the avoidance of doubt, any entrant must be a member on 7 May 2024 and remain a member until the competition winners are announced in September 2024.
• Entry is free but limited to one story per person.
• Entries must be received by 12 noon on Monday 15 July 2024. *This date was extended on 20.06.24.
• You must submit your entry via the online form on the Third Age Trust website, which will open on Tuesday 7 May 2024 and will close at 12 noon on Monday 15 July 2024. You can send an entry in as soon as it is ready, within this window only.
• Please ensure you submit your entry in good time and preferably not on the last day. Please note that the Third Age Trust can make no allowances for any technical issues which prevent or delay submission such as internet problems, and you are encouraged to submit your entry in good time.
• We regret that postal entries cannot be accepted.

• All of the entries will be judged in 12 groups. The best entry in each group will be decided by a panel of judges and the winners will be notified. 
• Each of the group winning entries will then be judged against each other to identify an overall winner.
• The winner will be announced in September 2024.
• The overall winner and shortlisted entrants will have their story published on the Third Age Trust website.
• An illustration will be commissioned to accompany the winning story and the overall winner will receive a framed copy of their story, with the illustration.

• Worldwide copyright for the story will remain with the author but all entrants must give permission as the author of the submitted story for the Third Age Trust and Third Age Trust Trading Ltd. to hold, process and display the work on their website, social media accounts and in other Trust media e.g u3a matters magazine, in relation to this competition. You will always be credited by your first and surname alongside your story, if chosen.
• The Third Age Trust and Third Age Trust Trading Ltd. will have the right to edit & publish the submitted work on its website, social media accounts, in u3a matters and/or in an eBook.
• The Third Age Trust may contact you only in relation to your story and your data will not be used for any other purpose.

The Judges’ decision is final in all matters.

Judges and organisers will not enter into any correspondence/discussion with any entrant.

Any stories not conforming to the above rules and specifications will not be accepted.

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