WRITERS’ NEWS
http://www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020^79Go dark
UK HORROR MARKET
Gary DalkinFor 30 years Tartarus Press have produced beautiful editions
of classic supernatural tales and work by many of the finest
contemporary writers of dark fiction. Run by writers and editors
RB Russell and Rosalie Parker, Tartarus has won five World
Fantasy Awards, finding mainstream success with the publication
of Andrew Michael Hurley’s The Loney, which went on to win
the Costa First Novel award.
Now Tartarus is marking its anniversary with a volume of
contemporary literary strange tales, for which Rosalie Parker
is accepting submissions until 10 April. You should send one
original, previously unpublished story between 2,000-6,000
words. It must be on the literary strange/horror/supernatural
spectrum. Payment will be by a share in profits.
Tartarus is also open, without a deadline, for submission of
short story collections and novels between 75,000 and 120,000
words. Submissions should be strange, literary supernatural
fiction. No high fantasy, violent horror or young adult. Avoid
the more cliched trappings of horror fiction. Payment is by
negotiation. Do not send a complete manuscript, but rather
the first three chapters / three stories, and a synopsis when first
getting in contact.
All submissions should be sent to rosalieparker@btinternet.
com as a doc or rtf attachment. However, if this is not possible
please post your submission to Tartarus Press,
Details: Coverley House, Carlton, Leyburn, North Yorkshire
DL8 4AY; website: http://www.tartaruspress.comPlays written in either English or Italian on topics ‘affecting the
LGBTQ+ community and the promotion of diversity in love, society,
politics and culture’ are invited for the Carlo Annoni Award.
There is a prize of €1,000 for the winner in each language category
and also special mentions for:- a play on the theme of asylum seekers who leave their country
because they are victims of sexual orientation persecution. - a maximum ten-minute play or video on the topic of diversity in
schools, clubs, conferences, events and meetings, social media platforms
or online. - a LGBTQ+ themed comic play on relationship life.
Plays which have been previously staged are eligible and there are no
limitations on length or on cast numbers.
All entries will be assessed by Award organisers who will be looking
for creative content, play form, pertinence with the topic and the play’s
social impact.
The organisers would like to create a virtual library of plays received.
You should say clearly on your application whether you would like your
play to be included or not.
Submit your work before the deadline of 30 April with your name,
email address and a telephone number for any further communication.
Email to: [email protected]; website: http://
premiocarloannoni.eu/guidelines/?lang=en
Diversity paramount
A call to action
Stelliform Press is a new Canadian small indie for novellas, novels, short
story collections and creative non-fiction ‘which address our world’s
most pressing problems: climate change, ecological destruction, and the
effect of these issues on how we relate to each other and to the other
beings that live with us in the world’.
Practising what they preach, the press has an environmentally-
conscious publishing plan, limiting use of paper, which is all recycled,
using vegetable inks not polluting metallic ones, using print on demand
technology, use of conferencing technology and no air travel for long-
distance events. They also participate in the Tree Neutral or Tree Canada
Programme to offset their carbon emissions.
Works must ‘address environmental issues from many different
perspectives and are, foremost, emotional and relational or
interconnected narratives which can help us to find the strength and
inspiration we need to confront the uncertain future’.
Submit genre fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but ‘literary
fiction with some genre crossover’ will also be considered. Lengths are
17,500-39,999 words for novellas, 70,000-100,000 for novels. Short
story collection subs, 40,000-60,000 words, open later this year.
Send the first 15-20 pages, a short covering letter, explaining the story
in under 250 words, its length and genre, a brief statement about the
main conflict, and how the story fits the Stelliform vision.
Response time is ‘reasonable’. Payment is a Can2¢ per word advance,
plus royalties, for first world English electronic and print rights. The
contract includes clauses for rights reversion should the author and/or
publisher wish to terminate their relationship.
Details: Stelliform Press, email subs to: submissions@stelliform.
press; website: http://www.stelliform.pressQuiet man, impressive prize
The 2020 QuietManDave Prize is a
new award in honour of the much-
loved Manchester writer and critic Dave
Murray. It has first prizes of £1,000 for
short-form fiction and non-fiction.
Writer, blogger and theatre critic Dave Murray, who died last year
aged 53, came to writing later in life and was a lover of flash fiction
and non-fiction. The new prize in his memory is being run by
Manchester Writing School in association with Manchester School
of Theatre.
The QuietManDave Prize is for flash fiction and non-fiction up to
500 words. Entries must be original and unpublished, and may be in
any form and style.
The first prize in each category is £1,000. There are runner-up
prizes in each category of £200 and £50. The judges are Kate Feld,
Tania Hershman and Shane Kinghorn.
The entry fee is £5 per piece of writing. Sponsored entries are
available for writers who would struggle to pay the entry fees.
The closing date is 17 April.
Website: www2.mmu.ac.uk/qmdprize/