Five 2011 Writing Competitions

I've made a resolution to enter writing competitions for the last few years, but by the time I get myself in gear, the deadlines have usually whizzed by.  This year I've vowed that I'll try for at least five, maybe more if I can spot them in time.  As a prompt, I've listed some of my top picks here - including deadlines and links where possible:

April 2011
Swanwick Writers Summer School Competition (short story and writing for children) - closes 30 April 2011.

May 2011
Arvon Postcard Competition - closes 21 May 2011
Frome Festival Short Story Competition - closes 31 May 2011

June 2011
Winchester Writers' Conference Writing Competitions 2011 (including Writing for Children) - closes 3 June 2011
Undiscovered Voices 2012 (to be launched April 5 - previous competitions have closed in June). I'll update this link as soon as the competition goes live.

I'm always on the lookout for quality competitions (ideally writing for children) so please feel free to contact me or post a comment if you have any other suggestions that I've missed.

Authors for Japan

If you want to help out Japan, then click on the logo to check out the Authors for Japan auction site set up by Keris Stainton.  There's an amazing range of goodies on offer including manuscript assessments, signed books, dedications and illustrations.
                                        
The auction will open at 8am GMT tomorrow (Tuesday 15th March) and close at 8pm on Sunday (the 20th).To bid, you’ll need to leave a comment (with the amount of your bid) in the relevant comments box. At the conclusion of the auction the bidder who has made the highest bid in UK Pounds will be deemed the winner. Winning bidders will be notified by email and instructed to make their donations to the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home. 

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. 

Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. 

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa is an intriguing new YA fantasy.  Set between our world and the faery domain, it tells the story of Meghan Chase as she learns about the mysterious iron fey while coming to terms with her birthright as a faery princess.

The novel is a blend of both old favourites and new ideas. Readers will recognise that Meghan's quest includes characters and themes from many literary influences such as Peter Pan, Labyrinth, The NeverEnding Story and in particular, A Midsummer Night's Dream. But alongside this familar thread, there's also the exciting introduction of the iron fey, a new race of faery born from techology and deadly to the existing members of the Seelie and Unseelie Court.  The combination of tradition and modernity, past and present makes for a strangely familiar, yet unsettling read as the different sides war against one another. I'm really keen to see how the author develops this conflict in The Iron Daughter - due to be published by Mira Ink in April 2011.  I'm also excited to announce that Julie Kagawa will be answering some questions about the book on my blog later this week as part of her UK blog tour.

New Children's Books Website - The Guardian

I'm not young enough to be a contributor to the Guardian's new children's books website, but I wish I was.

Launched on World Book Day, the brand new Guardian children's books site has been designed and curated with the help of a dedicated editorial panel of 100 children and teens from around the world. You can read reviews, follow discussions, and watch and listen to the questions that the panel have put to top authors, from Jacqueline Wilson to Malorie Blackman, Michelle Paver to Charlie Higson. A welcome addition to the world of children's fiction.