Competitions

Current Competitions

The Great Escape Flash Fiction Competition 2015

The Great Escape Flash Fiction Competition - For National Flash Fiction Day

CLOSED – Monday 22nd June

Flash fiction is the art of telling short, powerful stories. In celebration of National Flash Fiction day on the 27th June, we’re inviting writers to share their flash fiction with us.

The Great Escape features genre fiction, with an emphasis on escapism. Other than this, there is no specific theme or special requirements for this competition; we want to hear the stories you want to tell.

You can take a look at the fiction previously published on the site to give you an idea of the types of stories we share.

Requirements

  • Prose stories not more than 1000 words in length
  • Any genre / subject

Email entries to [email protected] and include the name you would like to be credited under.

Prizes

As a thank you for taking part in our Flash Fic celebration, all entrants will receive an ebook copy of our first anthology, Great Escapes Vol 1.

Selected entries will be featured on The Great Escape Website on National Flash Fiction Day on Saturday 27th June, and may also be offered the opportunity to feature in our next print / ebook anthology.

Our normal terms and conditions apply. See below for details.


General competition terms and conditions

Entries should be submitted via email to [email protected] (please follow the specific guidance for the competition you are entering)
All work must be the entrants original creation, which they own the rights to.
By entering you agree to grant The Great Escape a non-exclusive distribution licence to display your submitted work on the website for a minimum of three months from the competition deadline. If for any reason you no longer wish it to be displayed after this three month period, you may request that we remove it. You retain full rights over your work and are free to submit to publishers or display the work in other places.
The winner(s) will be judged by the Great Escape team (who aren’t allowed to enter) based on the best use of the competition criteria, innovation, imagination and quality.
Your work should be suitable for all readers/viewers ages 15+. Please keep this in mind with regard to any strong language, graphic violence and sexual content. The Great Escape reserves the right to reject any entries which we believe contain unsuitable material, or do not meet the competition criteria (e.g exceed the specified word count or file size). In this circumstance we will endeavour to notify the entrant as quickly as possible and give them the opportunity to amend their submission so long as they do so before the final deadline.
 

Past Competitions

“(Un)Conventional” Short Story Competition

CLOSED – 30th May 2013 (EXTENDED from 26th April)

To celebrate the release of Great Escapes | Volume 1, and our first public screening of Gabriel Cushing vs the Zombie Vampires, at Cardiff Comic Expo on 2nd March 2013, we invited writers to submit stories from the convention scene.

Winner

Rules of Engagement by Andrew Campbell-Kearsey

Rules of Engagement - short story context winner

 

 

 

 

Prizes

1st prize – Publication on the website and in Great Escapes | Volume 2 (Date TBC). Plus a £10 cash prize!

 

“ESCAPE” Micro Fiction VS Poetry competition

CLOSED – 12th October 2012

Are you team Micro Fiction or team Poetry? We waged a battle of the short form literature which was won by Team Micro Fiction at a score of 16 to 12! Entrants submitted micro fiction and poetry no longer than 150 words on the theme of “Escape”.

Micro Fiction Winner
The Incident of the Crow through the Window, by Teagan Jackel

Poetry Winner
Drive, by Rich Mather

Runners Up
Laura Huntley, Andrew Campbell-Kearsey, Thomas D. Webster, Rebecca J. Crompton and Cathy Bryant. best replica rolex

 

Story Illustration Art Competition

CLOSED – 28th May 2012

Stories can be brought to life with pictures. We’re looking for budding artists who can capture the essence of a short story in a visual medium. You can choose any of the stories or poems previously published on the site. Replica Rolex 116655

Winner

Kat for her illustration, Sad Umbrella, inspired by fifty word story Umbrella:

A weeping, discarded umbrella in the rain

Prizes

1st Prize – £10 Amazon gift vouchers* and publication both on the website and in The Great Escape’s first print anthology.

 

Valentine’s Short Story Competition

CLOSED – 6th February 2012

We’re looking for romance this spring. Send us a short story of no more than 1,500 words, including both of the following:

  • a spilled drink a
  • a case of mistaken identity.

Winner

Matthew Fewford, for his story Paths.

Paths - short story title banner

 

 

 

 

Prizes

1st Prize – £10 Amazon gift voucher* and publication on the website, plus the chance to have the story appear in The Great Escape’s first print anthology, to be released in 2012.

Competition banner image – “Romantic novel” by Dan via Freedigitalphotos.net

 

Christmas 2011 Short Story competition

CLOSED – 25th November 2011.

We challenge you to submit a Christmas (or other winter period festival) themed short story, not more than 1,500 words in length. It can be any genre but it must include both of the following:

  • A best laid plan gone awry
  • A ribbon or bow

Winner

Christopher M. Geeson, for his story One Corpse Too Merry.

Title banner (FICTION) - One Corpse Too Merry

 

 

 

 

Prizes

1st Place – £10 Amazon gift voucher and publication of their story on the website,  plus the chance to have the story appear in The Great Escape’s first print anthology, to be released in autumn 2012.

Competition banner image – “isolated christmas tree “(christmasstockimages.com) / CC BY 3.0

*Gift voucher alternative – cash via PayPal.
Published in print and eBook format. Royalties payable based on the size of the contribution and the number of contributors.

The Great Escape