Sheffield landmark short story contest … 12 days to enter!

Photo by Harrison Qi on Unsplash

The Off the Shelf Short Story Competition is back for the first time since the online competition in 2020. This time, the winners (or a designated reader, if a winner is stage-shy) will be reading their work at a celebration event on October 19th at Western Bank Library at the University of Sheffield.

Inspired by your favourite Sheffield landmark, your story should be no more than 1000 words.

Your story must include ONE of these lines somewhere:

• Either: “The fog hung low, obscuring [landmark of choice] and giving the air an eerie silence.”

• Or: “She stood in/by/on/under [landmark of choice], looking out of place in her all-black ensemble.”

Entry Rules:

• Entries cost £5 (maximum of two entries per author)

• The story must be your own original work and previously unpublished. It can be any genre, but it must include a Sheffield landmark.

• Entries must be typed and double-spaced.

• Completed stories should be entered online as Word documents (or a compatible format).

• Do not put your name on the document (entries will be judged anonymously)

• They should be sent to sheffieldauthors@gmail.com as email attachments with “Short Story Competition” in the subject line. The body of the email should include your name and contact details, and confirmation that you have paid the entry fee.

• Closing date September 24th.

Here is the link for entering the Off the Shelf Sheffield Short Story Competition: Off the Shelf Sheffield Short Story Competition Tickets, Wed 23 Aug 2023 at 19:00 | Eventbrite

The three winners will be announced at an event held in Sheffield University Library, Western Bank, on October 19th from 6.00 - 8.30 PM. There will be a prize, to be announced, for each of these winners. The event is open to all, but the contest fee gives entrants free access to this event.

Magic Pen Short Story Competition for people with learning disabilities

The Magic Pen Competition is a category of the Sheffield Short Story Competition for people with learning disabilities.

Stories can be up to 500 words long but as short as you want. Your story needs to be typed up, but this can be done by a friend, family member or carer. Your story must be about a Sheffield landmark of your choice.

Enter the competition by selecting the Magic Pen option here.

Send your story to sheffieldauthors@gmail.com by September 24th with “Magic Pen Competition” in the subject line.