Manchester/climate change short story competition

Manchester Climate Monthly is running a short story competition on the theme of “Manchester in a warmer world” (that’s Manchester, Britain, not some American interloper). You don’t have to live in or have any other associations with the city to enter, but you do have to stick with the theme. The first prize is £200 – yep, a cash prize, with no entry fee – and there will be second and third prizes awarded too. Word limit 2000; entries close Friday 16th August 2013.

I should declare an interest. Along with Manchester-based short story writer Zoe Lambert (whose collection The War Tour was shortlisted for the Edge Hill prize last year), I’m one of the shortlisting panel. So I’m excited to see what I hope will be a high-quality set of submissions. The final awards will be decided by Professor Mark Maslin of University College London (author of Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction and Climate: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press) and Liz Jensen, author of The Uninvited, The Rapture and other novels). The winners will be announced as part of Manchester International Festival.

Full rules, terms, conditions etc are here. Get writing!