Alternative Bindings is excited to announce the 2016 “The Wallace Arts Trust Prize” short fiction contest

With the support of the Wallace Foundation we are awarding the following prizes in 2016

·         $600 for the Wallace Arts Trust Prize Best Short Story; and

·         $300 for the Wallace Arts Trust Runner-up Short Story.

The competition welcomes both emerging and established writers to share their stories based on the theme ‘A Kiwi Romance’ using a maximum of 750 words .

Participation is the most valued aspect of this inaugural award, which is also supported by the GABA Trust.

The winning story will be announced in Auckland during Pride 2016 and published on gaynz.com. Additional publicity and storytelling opportunities are being pursued – watch this space!

Our judges are well known in queer literary circles: 

·         Julie Helean, award-winning author

·         Gina Cole, winner of the inaugural Alternative Bindings writing contest, 2014

·         Stevan Eldred-Grigg, award-winning writer of novels, short stories and history

·         Peter Wells, award-winning author and film-maker whose books include his memoir Long Loop Home' which won the 2002 New Zealand Book Awards Biography Prize.

Email us at alternativebindings@gmail.com for full entry criteria.  Entries close 1 December 2015.

Please share news of this contest with your writer friends. Keep up to date with us on https://www.facebook.com/AlternativeBindings or at our blogspot, alternativebindings.blogspot.co.nz

The Wallace Foundation was established by the James Wallace Arts Trust and Sir James Wallace to foster, maintain, promote and advance the education of New Zealand artists and New Zealand people generally in the creative arts.

Alternative Bindings is a collective of LGBTQI lovers of books and the written word. We run events during Auckland Pride each February that encourage people to express their own stories in writing.

For more information please contact

Andrew Rumbles

alternativebindings@gmail.com

09 5800941

The Contest Rules for the Alternative Bindings and the 2016 “Wallace Arts Trust Prize” short fiction contest

The competition provides a safe and supportive environment for both emerging and established writers to share their stories. Other than a set length of 750 words and a theme "A Kiwi Romance", there are no restrictions; entries might express the triumph and joy of alternate sexuality, or the pain and difficulty. They might be funny or sad, sweet or bitter, outrageous or introspective.

Participation is the most valued aspect of Alternative Bindings. It is a competition, however, and we are blessed to be part of a kind and generous community — so the prize is fabulous!

With the support of The Wallace Foundation, GABA Trust and Gaynz.com, we are awarding  $600 cash and publication on Gaynz.com for the winning story and $300 cash for the runner up.

Our judges are well known in queer literary circles and they take their duties very seriously.  They are looking for outstanding sparks of creative brilliance. And, they say, thoroughly looking forward to the experience.  Their decision is final.

If the Alternative Bindings Short Story Competition encourages us to keep telling our unique stories the best way we can, it will have achieved its aim.

The theme for 2016 is " A Kiwi Romance". You may interpret it in any way you choose, just so long as it is obvious to the judges.

2016 COMPETITION RULES

1.  Stories must be your own work, and not previously published. 

2. Stories must be original fiction. 

3. All stories should have relevance to the broader New Zealand LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer) community.

4.  All stories must relate to the theme in some way.

5.  Stories must be 750 words or less. Please include your word count at the end of your story.

6.  Stories must be emailed as attachments in Word to alternativebindings@gmail.com 

7.  All stories must be received by midnight on 1 December 2015.  Late entries will not be accepted.

8.  Please include your full name, email address and contact phone number in your submission email.

9. Your name must not appear in headers or footers or anywhere in your story – our judges read all stories in blissful ignorance of the writer’s identity.

10. Please give your work a name that is not the same as the theme.  This helps us identify each piece.

11.  If you submit a story to the competition, you are also giving us permission to publish it, which may be online or in a printed publication.

12.  You may submit more than one story.

13.  We accept stories from writers based in New Zealand only.

14.  The Winner will be invited to read their work at our winner’s event.