Conditions of entry

1. The stories must be on the theme Ghost or Gothic and can be set in the past or the present. Stories must be no more than 4000 words in length.

2. Entrants must be female and can be of any nationality and from any country providing that they are over 18 and currently resident in the United Kingdom. They should not have had a novel or book of short stories for adults previously published.

3. Stories must be in English and must be the original unpublished work of the competitor.

4. Entrants can submit one story only.

5. Stories must be typed doublespaced on A4 paper and on one side only. A covering sheet should list title, author and approximate length. The competitor`s name must not appear on the manuscript. The title of the story must appear on each page of the manuscript. Each page must be numbered. Shortlisted competitors will be asked to submit three further copies of their story for the judges.

6. Stories will only be accepted if accompanied by an official entry form and fee, payable to the Asham Literary Endowment Trust. The fee is £15 except for concessions – pensioners, students and unwaged – for whom the fee is £10. Entries must also be accompanied by a stamped addressed postcard for
confirmation of your entr y number and acknowledgement of receipt. We regret that manuscripts cannot be returned and cannot be altered after submission.

7. The Asham Literary Endowment Trust and Virago Press accept no responsibility for lost or damaged manuscripts.

8. The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence or discussion concerning the judges` decision will be entered into.

9. Copyright will remain with the winning authors. Acceptance of the prize money will indicate the author`s agreement to her story being published in an anthology by Virago Press. There shall be no fur ther fee for such publication. Virago Press, an imprint of Little, Brown, will hold exclusive World all languages rights including audio and electronic rights in the story for the full term of copyright.
Virago will represent the author in the sale of any subsidiary rights to the story arising from the publication of the anthology and will pay the author her share within 60 days of receipt.

10. Virago Press reserves the right to edit the winning stories.

11. Failure to meet the conditions of entry will mean that a submission
is automatically disqualified from the competition.

12. Employees of Virago Press, their spouses or par tners and children, and members/employees of the Asham Literar y Endowment Trust, their spouses or par tners and children are not eligible to enter.

13. Entries must be received at the offices of the Asham Trust, Town Hall, High Street, Lewes BN7 2QS no later than September 30, 2010. The twelve winning writers, each of whom will have their stories published in an anthology by Virago Press, will be notified in early March 2011 and the first, second and third prizewinners will be announced at the launch of the collection in September 2011.

Please note: entries sent by email will not be accepted.