The Real Story 2011 competition
The Real Story is a celebration of creative nonfiction. We’re inviting people to submit unpublished personal essays or brief memoirs of 2000 words or less. The topic can be anything – your childhood, travels, reflections on life, a person you have loved – as long as it tells us a compelling story from your point of view.
The best submissions will be published alongside specially commissioned portraits of the writers on a new website to be launched in October at the Manchester Literature Festival 2011, and some of the winning writers will be asked to read their pieces live during the festival.
To enter, email your submission as an attached word document to info@openstories.org with “ Real Story submission” in the subject line. Please include your full name and contact details and a 50-word bio. All submissions must be received no later than August 27, 2011. We regret that we cannot consider entries from outside the UK.
If you’d like to learn more about using your own life as the basis for nonfiction writing, we’re holding a primer workshop, Life Writing Bootcamp, at City Library , Manchester on Saturday July 30 from 11am to 4pm, with writer and Rainy City Stories editor Kate Feld. The workshop will cover developing and writing personal essays, memoirs, and first person blogs. The cost is £25 (£20 concessions). Places are limited. To book call 01706 823264 (note: this is now the correct number) or email info@openstories.org.
The Real Story is brought to you by Openstories, and supported by the Manchester Literature Festival.
ABOUT
The Real Story is brought to you by Openstories, a Manchester-based arts organisation that develops projects combining literature and technology. Past projects have included Rainy City Stories, a writers’ map of Manchester, and the Manchester Blog Awards, a celebration of the city’s best online writing that is now in its seventh year.
It is run by Kate Feld and Chris Horkan.
Kate is a writer living in the green hills of Ramsbottom. She edits Creative Tourist and blogs at Manchizzle. You can read some of her creative writing here.
Chris is web developer in Manchester city centre. He runs OH Digital, which builds websites for the likes of Cornerhouse, the Royal Exchange, the Big Issue in the North and the Daily Mash. He was formerly a journalist, writing about music, technology and Manchester.
Want to get in touch? Don’t be shy. Email us on info@openstories.org.