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The game’s afoot! The New England Writers’ Centre is giving writers across Australia the chance to be the next Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, or Arthur W. Upfield.
Entries are now open for the 2018 New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing.
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In this, the sixth year of the Prize, there are six awards on offer for crime writers. All genres of crime writing are eligible, from hard-boiled to comic, paranormal to rural, historical to contemporary, noir to cosy. Entries welcome from anywhere in Australia, from published or unpublished writers.
Strong local support has again made possible the following awards:
The New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Fiction: First Prize: $500, for a story of up to 2,500 words. Sponsored by The Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education, University of New England.
The New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Non-Fiction: First Prize: $500 for an article of up to 2,500 words. Sponsored by Moin and Associates, Lawyers.
The New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Poetry: First Prize: $500 for a poem of up to 60 lines. Sponsored by the New England Writers’ Centre.
The New England Award of $250 for the best entry in any category by a writer resident in New England, sponsored by Reader’s Companion Bookshop, Armidale.
The Emerging Authors Award of $250, for the best entry in any category from new, unpublished writers only (over 18). Sponsored by Friends of Tamworth Libraries.
The Youth Award of $150, for writers under 18, jointly sponsored by Christmas Press and Little Pink Dog Books (both publishers based in Armidale).
Novelist Sulari Gentill will judge fiction. Her award-winning Rowland Sinclair historical crime series has attracted a wide readership both nationally and internationally, along with her crime metafiction novel, Crossing the Lines.
Award-winning, internationally-published author and journalist Helen O’Neill will judge Non-Fiction. Her books include Daffodil – the Biography of a Flower, A Singular Vision: Harry Seidler, and Florence Broadhurst - Her Secret and Extraordinary Lives.
Acclaimed poet Jean Kent will judge Poetry. She has published eight books of poetry and won numerous awards for her work, including the Anne Elder Award, the Dame Mary Gilmore Award, and the Newcastle Poetry Prize.
Finally, writer, illustrator and editor Beattie Alvarez will judge the Youth Award. Her work has been published in storybooks, anthologies and magazines, and she has curated and edited several books.
Entries open on June 1, 2018 and close on September 30, 2018. Fee: $10 per entry for Adults and $5 per entry for Youth, entries to be sent by post or email. Winners announced in November.
Full details and downloadable entry forms: http://www.newc.org.au/thunderbolt-prize-2018.html
