6. Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition

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The Wrekin Writers Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition 2024 – Now Open!

We’re now accepting entries for the 2024 Doris Gooderson Short Story competition. The key details are as follows:

• Maximum wordcount: 1200
• Theme: Any
• Entry Fee: £5 per story
• Prizes: 1st = £200, 2nd = £100, 3rd = £50.
• Closing Date: 11.59pm GMT on 12th July 2024.

DG Rules and Entry Form – MS Word FormatDownload

DG Rules and Entry Form – PDF FormatDownload

2024 Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition Rules

• Entries must not exceed 1200 words.
• Entries should be in the form of a short story, on any theme, and written in English.
• Prizes: 1st = £200, 2nd = £100 and 3rd = £50.
• A fee of £5 is required per entry. Multiple entries are acceptable.
• This competition is open to anyone, of any age, from anywhere in the world, including members of Wrekin Writers who are not involved in the competition administration or judging process.
• Payments must be made in pounds sterling (GBP).
• The Closing Date is 12th July 2024 and all entries (and fees) must arrive by 11.59pm BST on that day.
• Winners will be notified by 1st October 2024.
• Copyright remains with the author, although the winning entries may be published in the next Wrekin Writers Anthology and on the Wrekin Writers website. Publication in the anthology, or on the website, is not guaranteed.
• No entries should be submitted into any other competition, whilst this competition is running, but may be entered elsewhere after 1st October 2024.
• Entries received after the closing date will not be judged, nor will any entry fees be refunded.
• No entries should have won a competition or have been previously published (this includes online where someone—other than the writer—has decided to accept and publish the story. Note that stories uploaded by the entrant onto forums for peer-review and critiquing purposes only are not deemed to have been published).
• Entries failing to meet all of these rules will be disqualified. Fees from disqualified entries will not be returned.
• Entry indicates an acceptance of these rules.
• The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
• Entries should not have the author’s name, or any other identifying marks, on the typescript. Each page should contain the story title and page number at the top or bottom.
• Single-spaced entries are permitted – no need to double-space text.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY ELECTRONICALLY:

• Entry fees for electronic entries MUST be made by Paypal. If you don’t have a PayPal account and cannot pay by PayPal, PLEASE USE THE POSTAL PROCESS INSTEAD.
• Submit your entries as an attachment (Word/PDF) to dorisgooderson@gmail.com.
• Pay the entry fee by PayPal to wrekinwriters@gmail.com. (Note the different email address.) Please make payment at the same time you submit your entry. (Payments made a few days prior to, or after, submitting your entry, make competition administration more challenging! Thank you.)
• A completed entry form is not needed – simply include your contact details in your email.

HOW TO SUBMIT BY POST:

• Entries should be submitted to: The Competition Secretary, 8 Ragleth Road, Church Stretton, Shropshire SY6 7BN.
• The fee should be paid by cheque made payable to Wrekin Writers Group. (Payment by PayPal is for electronic entries only.) We endeavour to bank cheques as soon as is practical, but with fewer branches in rural areas, this is becoming more challenging.
• Sorry – no entries will be returned, so please do not enclose a SAE.
• Entries can be acknowledged by email (if you provide an email address) or enclose a stamped addressed postcard.
• Entries with insufficient postage will NOT be collected from the Post Office. Please check your entry has the correct postage paid.

At least 50% of the profits from this year’s competition will be donated to the Severn Hospice.

2023 Winning Entries

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Doris Gooderson Short Story competition. The details are as follows (click on the story title to read the entry)

First – Clare London with her story – Come In Out Of The Rain

Second – Fiona Brookman with her story – The Track

Third – Angela Edwards with her story – Fate Worse Than Death

Did you know?

Since we started donating half the profits from the Doris Gooderson Short Story competition in 2013, you’ve helped us raise:

£2,000.00