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Nature writing competition for unpublished authors

edited June 2010 in - Resources
Frustratingly close to deadline, as this looks a good opportunity for anyone we can get the news to!
Press release below here:

The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) have teamed up with independent publisher Elliott & Thompson (E&T) and Foyles to launch a brand new writing competition for unpublished authors. The winner will see their entry published in Nature Tales: Encounters with Britain’s Wildlife, a beautiful anthology of British nature writing which E&T will publish later this year in partnership with TWT. From Gilbert White to Charles Darwin, from Robert Macfarlane to Kathleen Jamie, the book features some of the greatest nature writers of all time.
The competition invites previously unpublished authors to submit entries of up to 2,000 words describing a real-life personal encounter with wildlife by midnight on Sunday 18th July 2010. The winner will be decided by a panel of judges, comprising Simon Barnes, renowned naturalist and writer; Michael Allen, Chairman of The Wildlife Trusts and co-author of Nature Tales; Mark Searle, Publisher at E&T; Adam Cormack, Communications Manager at TWT and Julia Kingsford, Head of Marketing at Foyles.

Michael Allen, Chairman of The Wildlife Trusts says:
‘The Wildlife Trusts are proud to support this new nature writing competition. At a time when the riches of nature writing seem to grow almost by the day, we are excited about seeking out new talent to publish in this anthology.
We are also very enthusiastic about Nature Tales itself; it has been an exciting and challenging task to help compile the extracts from such a distinguished tradition, and to be able to select from such a wealth of current writers in the field. We are looking forward to the book’s publication this autumn, and to finding some new talent to add to the many fine nature writers we already have here in the UK.’
Julia Kingsford of Foyles says: ‘Nature Tales promises to be a wonderful selection of the very best nature writing and we’re thrilled to be able to give our customers the opportunity to contribute their own work to sit alongside that of the greatest naturalists. ’

The winning entry will appear alongside contributions from both modern and historic naturalists, including Roger Deakin, Joseph Banks, Steve Backshall, Simon Barnes and Bill Oddie, when the book is published on 24th September 2010.
For more information about the competition or the book, please contact Ellen Marshall at [email protected] or on 020 7831 5013.

Visit the website: http://www.naturetales.co.uk

Comments

  • Sounds great, but the unpublished bit will rule a lot of us out of entering!
  • I've looked at the terms and conditions and nowhere did it seem to define unpublished- unless I missed that.

    What it did say that makes it annoying is the: "each entrant grants a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual licence to Elliott & Thompson to feature any or all of the submissions in any of its publications, its website and/or in any promotional material connected to this competition."

    So basically you can keep your copyright, but if you want to use it elsewhere you're going to need a market that won't mind that the piece could be/has been published elsewhere...
  • I'm sorry everyone... I didn't notice that. That's pretty much unacceptable as far as we're concerned. Winning entries is one thing, but to seize rights for all entries is out of line...
  • [quote=Carol]I've looked at the terms and conditions and nowhere did it seem to define unpublished- unless I missed that.[/quote] I couldn't find anything that said that either. It does state the actual piece mustn't have been published before, but I'd expect that.

    [quote=Carol]What it did say that makes it annoying is the: "each entrant grants a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual licence to Elliott & Thompson to feature any or all of the submissions in any of its publications, its website and/or in any promotional material connected to this competition."[/quote] So many comps seem to have a clause like that. It is annoying because I don't think they have any intention of using work that doesn't win and it's just a belts and braces measure dreamed up by their legal departments.
  • To some extent I agree with you Phot's Moll but in the current climate where getting as much free content as possible saves money, I fear this will become standard, unless a stand is made.

    I may lose out on opportunities by not entering competitions that offer a good prize/publication but expect the losers to just hand over their rights just by entering- I feel this is nothing but exploitation.
    I always look through the terms and conditions for these dubious clauses when a competition is highlighted.

    Fortunately there are still many organisers who play fair on their terms.

    Thank you Webbo for the following comment:

    "That's pretty much unacceptable as far as we're concerned. Winning entries is one thing, but to seize rights for all entries is out of line... "

    Also well done on the item in August WN re this subject.
  • [quote=Carol]I may lose out on opportunities by not entering competitions that offer a good prize/publication but expect the losers to just hand over their rights just by entering- I feel this is nothing but exploitation.[/quote]
    [quote=Webbo]That's pretty much unacceptable as far as we're concerned. Winning entries is one thing, but to seize rights for all entries is out of line... [/quote]

    Agree 100%! Even if I was unpublished and therefore eligible for this competition, I wouldn't dream of entering it on principal!
  • You're quite right to check the terms and conditions and to avoid any competitions where these aren't acceptable to you.
  • Ditto
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