2014 Over The Edge
New Writer of The Year competition
OPEN TO POETS & FICTION WRITERS
WORLDWIDE
NOW TAKING ONLINE PAYMENTS
COMPETITION JUDGE: ELEANOR HOOKER
Major Sponsor: Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop,
other sponsors to date:
ISupply, Quay Street; Ward’s Hotel Lower Salthill;
Clare Daly TD, Kenny’s Bookshop & Derek Nolan T.D
Closing date: Wednesday, August 6th, 2014
In 2014 Over The Edge is continuing its exciting annual international creative writing competition. Since its inception in 2007, it has grown to become one of the most important competition’s for emerging writers in Ireland and internationally. The competition is open to both poets and fiction writers worldwide. The total prize money is €1,000. The best fiction entry will win €300. The best poetry entry will win €300. One of these will then be chosen as the overall winner and will receive an additional €400, giving the overall winner total prize money of €700 and the title Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2014. The 2014 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year will be a Featured Reader at Ireland’s leading literary reading series, the Over The Edge: Open Readings in Galway City Library, on a date to be scheduled in Winter 2014/15. Salmon Poetry will read, without commitment to publish, a manuscript submitted to them by the winner in the poetry category. Doire Press will read, without commitment to publish, a manuscript of short stories submitted to them by the winner in the fiction category. The winner in the poetry category will have one of the poems from her or his winning entry published in the January 2015 issue of Skylight 47 magazine.
Entries should be sent to Over The Edge, New Writer of the Year competition, 3 Carbry Road, Newcastle, Galway, Ireland. Entries will be judged anonymously, so do not put your name on your poem(s) or stories. Put your contact details on a separate sheet. If you live in Ireland and wish to be informed of the results by post, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope. OTHERWISE, YOU DO NOT NEED TO ENCLOSE A STAMPED ADDRESSED ENVELOPE.
Criteria: fiction of up to three thousand words, three poems of up to forty lines, or one poem of up to one hundred lines. Any of the aforementioned is one entry. Multiple entries are acceptable but each must be accompanied by a fee. The fee for one entry is €10. The fee for multiple entries is €7.50 per entry e.g. two entries will cost €15, three entries €22.50 and so on. Fee payable by cheque or money order to Over The Edge. The competition is open to writers worldwide. We accept payment in Dollars, Sterling, Australian Dollars, Canadian Dollars and so on. Writers from outside the Euro area can calculate the payment for their entry here http://www.xe.com/ucc/ WE ALSO NOW ACCEPT ONLINE PAYMENTS. See the below for details. If you pay the entry fee online you must still post us a hard copy of your entry/entries and enclose with it a note saying ‘entry fee paid online’. PLEASE INCLUDE THE EXACT NAME IN WHICH THE ONLINE PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE SO THAT WE CAN VERIFY.
To take part you must be at least sixteen years old by September 1st 2014 and not have a book published or accepted for publication in the genre in which you enter. Chapbooks/ pamphlets excepted. Entries must not have been previously published or be currently entered in any other competition. The closing date is Wednesday, August 6th, 2014. A long-list will be announced at the August Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library on Thursday, August 28th, 2014 (6.30-8pm). THE LONGLIST WILL BE AVAILABLE, BEFORE THAT, AT CHARLIE BYRNE’S BOOKSHOP FROM 5PM ON THURSDAY AUGUST 28TH. The shortlist will be announced at the September Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library on Thursday, September 25th, 2014 (6.30-8pm). The winners will be announced at the October Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library on Thursday, October 30th, 2014 (6.30-8pm).
Eleanor Hooker lives in North Tipperary. Her debut collection of poems The Shadow Owner’s Companion, published by The Dedalus Press in 2012, has recently been shortlisted for the Strong/Shine award for best first collection in 2012. Her poetry has been published in Poetry Ireland Review, The Irish Times, The Stinging Fly, The SHOp, Crannog, Can Can, Agenda, POEM: International English Language Quarterly, New Leaf, and in the anthology I Live In Michael Hartnett. Online her poetry has been published in Wordlegs, And Other Poems, Ink Sweat and Tears and Poethead. In June 2013 Eleanor won the Poetry Ireland/Trocaire poetry competition (Published Author Category). In 2011 she was a winner in the Frank X Buckley Flash Short Story competition at the Irish Writers' Centre, was joint second prize winner in the William Trevor/Elizabeth Bowen International Short Story competition. In December 2012 a winner in the ten word short story competition held by @shortstoryday. Eleanor has a BA (Hons 1st) from the Open University, an MA (Hons.) in Cultural History from the University of Northumbria, and an MPhil in Creative Writing (Distinction) from Trinity College, Dublin. She was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series in 2011. She is the Vice-Chairperson of the Dromineer Literary Festival. She is Helm and Press Officer for Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat.
For further details contact Over The Edge on 087-6431748,
Major Sponsor: Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop,
other sponsors to date: ISupply, Flood Street;
Ward’s Hotel, Salthill; Clare Daly TD, Kenny’s Bookshop & Derek Nolan TD
