The Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize

 Full details 

The prize is for a short piece of stand-alone prose in either Fiction or Non-Fiction (1,500 - 3,000 words). It can be adapted from a longer work but must be satisfying to read by itself. The prize invites writers from all walks of life, whether writing a short story, essay, memoir, piece of reportage, historical investigation, or other hybrid form, as long as the writer reflects the sensibility of the prize. The prize is not aimed at the action-adventure genre nor limited to the idea of physical adventure. We invite writers to grapple with the spirit of adventure in any way they interpret. Pieces will be read and judged on their literary merit and their engagement with the general reader.  

Key dates:

• Submissions open: 1st October 2024

• Submissions close: 31st March 2025

• Shortlist announced: 15th May 2025

• Prize giving reception in London: 4th June 2025

 

How to enter

1. To enter the Tom Grass Literary Prize, please submit your piece of between 1,500 and 3,000 words maximum using the website entry form below.

2. In the subject bar of your submission, please state: Tom Grass Prize, Author name, ‘Title of Piece’.

3. Material should be submitted in a single Word document, in a clear font, point size 12. Please include with the piece a brief one paragraph outline to introduce or give context to it, including reference to your personal background if you consider this relevant.

4. Filenames should follow the form: Author name, ‘Title of Piece.’ The title page should include the author’s contact details. All pages should be numbered and include Author name and ‘Title of Piece’ as a footer or header.

5. In the body of your submission email, no further personal information is needed, other than the material attached and your contact details.

6. The entry must be written in the English Language, in prose, in any genre of Fiction or Non Fiction as long as it reflects, in whichever way the writer interprets, the sensibility of the Tom Grass Prize.

7. The entry must be previously unpublished (including self-published) and should stand alone as a self-contained piece, even if adapted from a longer work.

8. Entrants are permitted only one entry each and entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted. Joint submissions are permitted but should be sent only once, on behalf of both authors, subject to both authors consenting to entering and being eligible.

9. Entries should be uploaded to the website portal any time between 1st October 2024 and March 31st 2025, with the deadline closing at midnight, UK time, on March 31st 2025. All entries will be read by the Tom Grass Prize team of supporters, who will create a longlist to be submitted to the Jury. A final shortlist of 3 including the winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on 4th June 2025. The winner and shortlist of 3 will be publicly announced simultaneously.

10. The Tom Grass Prize is free to enter.

Terms & Conditions

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• Entrants must be over the age of 25 as of 1st October 2024 when submissions open.

• Entrants can live anywhere in the world, and we encourage entrants from all backgrounds.

• Entries must be written in the English Language.

• Entries must be previously unpublished.

• Entries must be original to the author and must not violate the copyright or other rights of any third party.

• Entrants can be previously unpublished writers or, if published, with no more than 1 major work to their name, usually considered to be a book-length work. Please provide details of the work with your submission.

• Entrants must comply with these terms and conditions to be eligible. If there is any reason to believe that there has been a breach of these terms and conditions, the Tom Grass Prize may, at their sole discretion, reserve the right to exclude you from participating in the competition. 

• No further correspondence will be entered into other than for the receipt of submissions and the judges’ decision.

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