Essay
A matter of concern
How to enter
There can have been few of us whose lives have not been touched by the speed of change and upheaval,
whether from matters like Covid and Brexit, or at a more intimate level. In the process it may often
have felt that our views did not matter, that we had become invisible and not been heard.
This is your opportunity to find your voice, knowing that we will be reading every essay with
compassion. We want you to touch us with your views and experience.
We are looking for a well-reasoned essay, using the art of rhetoric where appropriate. We hope you
will be able to make suggestions as to ways forward.
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You may be someone who has entered many writing competitions and not had any feedback, unless you were one of the winning few, possibly leaving you wondering and tormenting yourself with the thought that you might have been bottom of the pile whereas you might have been a near miss. We would like to change this. We are offering you an A4 page feedback for £5/6€ which we think is very good value. We hope this will be encouraging and renew your enthusiasm for your writing.
Essay A4 feedback
Essay A4 feedback
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You may be someone who has entered many writing competitions and not had any feedback, unless you were one of the winning few. This has possibly left you wondering and tormenting yourself with the thought that you might have been bottom of the pile, whereas you might have been a near miss.
We would like to change this. We are offering you an A4 page feedback for £5/6€ which we think is very good value. We hope this will be encouraging and renew your enthusiasm for your writing.
Liv Rowland has been working in journalism for over 20 years, previously on newspapers in the UK then for 14 years with The Connexion, the national newspaper and website for English-speakers in France.
At ‘The Connexion’ she works as sub-editor and chief reporter on areas including practical information and French current affairs. She has enjoyed doing many interviews, from ambassadors and MPs to charity presidents, Académie français members and TV presenters or chefs.
In the last five years she has written over a thousand articles on Brexit alone – the biggest single issue to have affected the paper’s readership.
Liv originally studied French language and literature at university and enjoys using both French and English in her work and helping the English-speaking community in France.
Our judge Liv Rowland writes:-
I will be looking for essays that are thought-provoking and original, giving an eye-opening perspective on their subject. They should engage the reader, show well-developed arguments and a sense of why the topic is important to the writer.
Essays should demonstrate that they are looking forward, at least in part. If they are exploring constructive solutions for the future, despite our current difficult times, this could be seen as a plus.
Please read the following conditions of entry carefully before sending in your essays.
- Maximum length excluding the title is 2500 words minimum 1500. The number of words should be stated at the bottom.
- Each essay including its title, should be typed single-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman using only one side of each A4 numbered sheet.
- Essay should not have been previously published or self-published, whether in physical or electronic form.
- Essay must be the original work of the entrant.
- You may submit as many essays as you like, using an entry form.
- No entrant may win more than one prize.
- Online entry fee – 6€/£5 per essay.
- Postal entry fee -- 6€/£5 per essay. Sterling payments can only be made by Paypal or Stripe - no cheques please.
- The team reserve the right to offer prizes only if they consider the quality and quantity of entries merits such. There are no cash alternatives for goods in kind.
- Please keep a copy of your work as we cannot return entries.
- The judge’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
Results, including long and shortlisting, will be put on the competition website at the beginning of February 2022.
Entrants retain all copyright, publishing rights and any other publishing rights to their work We will publish winning entries on our website.
Please read the guidelines carefully
Essay: 'A matter of Concern' 1500 - 2500 words
Entries must be the original work of the author in English and should not have been published, self-published, broadcast or posted on the internet
No identification of authorship should appear on the submission. Please include a separate cover note with your name address, tel. no. and email address together with a list of your titles
How to enter
By email
Your cover note may be an attachment or included in the main body of the email. Each entry must be in a separate word attachment or PDF. Send to pennibwritingcomp@gmail.com
By post
Each entry should be on a separate sheet with its title.
Please include a cover note as above.
How to pay
By cheque made out to Assocn. Les Projets Bookstop/The Bookstop Projects. Euro cheques are acceptable only if issued from a French bank account. Payments may be made through Paypal or Stripe.
Sterling payments must be transferred to our French bank account by Paypal or Stripe. No sterling cheques please.
When paying please note your transaction number and add it to your cover note.