In Search Of The UKs Best Young Crime Writers

International crime writer, Pauline Rowson, has teamed up with South Coast libraries in the UK to launch the inaugural National Young Crime Writers’ Competition to find the South’s best young crime writer who will go forward for a national prize to be announced during National Crime Fiction Week, which starts on June 14.

The Young Crime Writers Competition is being organised by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) of Great Britain, which represents the interests of published crime writers, and library authorities nationwide. The competition will appeal to writers aged up to 18 (born on or after September 1, 1991).

Stories should be submitted via the participating libraries between January 18 and February 19 and the word limit is 1,000.

Participating libraries for the south include Portsmouth, Southampton, the Isle of Wight, and the larger branches in West Sussex, which includes: Bognor Regis, Burgess Hill, Chichester, Crawley, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Littlehampton, Shoreham, Storrington and Worthing


Shortlisted entries will be judged by Pauline Rowson, author of the marine mystery series of crime novels set in the Solent area and featuring her detective, Inspector Andy Horton.
Each shortlisted entrant will receive a certificate while the area winner will be awarded a certificate and a £10 book token and will go forward for the national prize. The national winner will receive an engraved pen, a selection of signed books, and a weekend pass for the winner and one accompanying adult, including one night’s accommodation, and tickets to the Gala Dinner at Crimefest 2011 (19-22 May 2011) an annual convention which draws top crime novelists from around the world.

Pauline Rowson says, ‘As a child I was inspired by the likes of Enid Blyton to write my first novel when I was 11. This is a great opportunity for all those young people who enjoy crime novels and stories to put pen to paper and have a go at creating their own murder mystery. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to the library service because it was at my local library as a child where I first discovered the joy of reading so I am particularly delighted to be working on this exciting project with the library service.’

Entry forms are available throughout the participating libraries.

ENDS

January 2010

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