Could you write the next addition to the Folkestone StoryMap? We are looking for a short story to add to our popular story trail in Folkestone. The story needs to have some connection to H G Wells, who lived in Sandgate at the turn of the 20th century.
H G Wells was a prolific writer and came to Folkestone for the sea air. He liked it so much he had a mansion built on Radnor Cliff, called Spade House, which is now a nursing home. While the house was being built he lived in two other houses on the same road.
While in Folkestone Wells wrote a great deal. The Sea Lady and Kipps both feature Sandgate and Folkestone.
We would like to extend Folkestone StoryMap to Radnor Cliff by adding a new short story written by a writer with a strong connection to Folkestone. You don’t need to live here to qualify – perhaps you went to school in the area, or holidayed here regularly as a child?
Your story needs to be between 500 and 2,000 words. The winning story will be read by an actor and accessed via a QR code on Radnor Cliff and this website.
Entry is free and open to people of all ages living in the town or district, or with a strong link to the town. Your stories need to have some connection to H G Wells and be geographically set in and around Radnor Cliff. It can be set in any period of time – past, present and future.
You have plenty of time to write your story – the deadline is July 9, 2022. Submit your entry here. Please read the Terms and Conditions below before you submit.
Terms and Conditions
- Closing date for receipt of all entries is at midday on July 9, 2022.
- Stories must be between 500 to 2,000 words excluding the title.
- The competition is free to enter and is open to anyone of any age who has a strong connection to the district. This includes anyone who lives in Folkestone and Hythe district, or who used to live in the district, or whose family are from the district, or who works in the district, or regularly used to/currently holidays in the district.
- Entries are online only.
- All entries should be in English.
- Online entries should be submitted via the online entry page of the website: https://forms.gle/7htayckTn37sLvoj7. All online entries will be acknowledged by an automated email. Online entries should be in a PDF and should be no larger than 10MB. We also accept audio files though please accompany it with a PDF document.
- Please format documents in 12 point Arial and double space with page numbers and the word count and title of the story at the top of each page.
- If you are over 18: Entries will be read and judged anonymously; entrants’ names and contact details should only appear on the entry form and not anywhere on their stories/manuscripts. The stories/manuscripts must be free of all personal information about the author.
- If you are under 18: Please put your name on the first page under the title.
- We’re looking for original stories peppered with lots of humour. Your story can be of any genre but strictly no obscene or violent content. It can be set in any period of time and must be set in Folkestone and mention the Coastal Park.
- Also consider your audience. The Coastal Park attracts thousands of families with young children. So though you don’t need to write your story for children, please think about use of language and suitability of content, as well as how well your story lends itself to being performed/read out by an actor.
- You can enter no more than two stories.
- Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, in print or online, or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition. Any entry found to have been plagiarised will be disqualified.
- If your entry has been long-listed or short-listed in other competitions, and provided it has not won a prize or been published, then it is eligible for Folkestone StoryMap.
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please let us know if a story is to be published elsewhere or has won a prize in another writing competition as this will preclude you from winning prizes in the Folkestone StoryMap competition.
- All entries will be read by a carefully selected group of experienced readers who will select at least seven winning stories. The judges’ decision is final and no individual correspondence will be entered into.
- We will award each of the winners a cash prize, amount TBC.
- Authors will retain copyright on their work.