7th International Writing Competition 2009

CALLING EDUCATORS, PARENTS, AND ESPECIALLY YOUNG WRITERS AND THINKERS



The Islamic Foundation is a leading centre of academic research in Islamic studies. We are also pioneers in publishing stories for Muslim children in the English language, having been among the first to do so back in the 1970's. The purpose of this competition is to nurture creativity and imagination among writers of all ages. We are looking for new and emerging talent to help us realize our objective of producing quality books with strong moral and Islamic values. Our aim at Kube Publishing is to produce the kind of books which children and teenagers would want to pick up and read time and time again.







ON THE WAY TO BEST-SELLER SUCCESS



Some of the winning entries from previous competitions that have gone on to become best-selling books for the Islamic Foundation. They include:



· Umar and the Bully



· Hannah and her Grandma



· The Colour Blind Boy



· Our Grandma



· A School Girl's Hero



· The Miraculous Happenings in the Year of the Elephant











DISCOVERING NEW TALENTS



Thanks to this competition, several gifted new authors have been discovered and have gone on to get their work published by us and other mainstream publishers. Books written by writers like Zaynab Dawood, Deborah Woodthorpe, Maryam Sinclair, Batool Haq, Farah Alvi and Lisa Dhar have inspired other budding writers to come forward and write.







CLOSING DATE



Due to popular demand and requests, the closing date for receipt of entries for the 7th International Writing Competition has been extended to the 31st of December 2009.


The shortlist date will be announced soon. For full details of terms and conditions, see below.







TERMS AND CONDITIONS:



The competition is open to anyone of any age - children, teenagers and adults. All entries must be written in the English language, and must be the entrant's own original, unpublished work. Only one entry per person may be submitted in each category. Every submission must includeb a cover page giving the following details:



* Full Name

* Date of Birth

* Full postal Address, including country

* Contact telephone number(s)

* Email Address

* Category

* Target age group







As a guide to what we are looking for, you may find it helpful to read some of the Islamic Foundation's publications for children. Stories must be suitable for one of the target categories and any of the age groups listed below, and should have a moral message, or at least subtly illustrate a moral point. On the other hand, they must be stories, not sermons!



Categories



* Fiction

* Non-fiction (E.g. history, biographies, diary)

* Comics strips

* Illustrations (see guidelines below)



Target Age Groups (for fiction, non-fiction and comic submission)



* 5-7

* 8-11

* 12-16







Word Count (for fiction and non-fiction)



* About 1000 words for stories written for 5-7 year olds

* About 4000 words for stories written for 8-11 year olds

* At least 25,000 words for stories written for 12-16 year olds. For this age group, we expect you to submit only a synopsis (summary) and two full chapters. There is no need to submit a complete story.



Instructions for "Comic" Category



There should be a maximum of 8 frames per page. Page size should be A4. The maximum requirement for any of the three age groups is three pages.



Instructions for "Illustrations" Category



You can choose one of the three theme areas listed below. A brief for each theme is listed underneath.



Nature



Khadeja sat outside her tent waiting attentively for the first signs of dawn. Each new season would bring a dramatic change to the woods, showing its' own transitory beauty and the magnificence in Allah's flawless design.



As the morning sun shone through the gaps between the trees, the Autumn colours came to life in arresting shades of orange, brown, red, yellow and pink. Khadeja sat there in awe, but was aroused from her thoughts by the sound of scuffling. Running towards it, she found to her surprise two red deers with their young, playfully hopping and prancing through a rustling carpet of leaves. She let out a squeal of delight! And the deer turned and ran off.



Mystery



"I'm sure it's nothing son, probably just one of the older boys playing a prank. You stay here while I go and check."



Russell the coach for Headington Boys Hockey team, stepped out of the office towards the changing rooms, as the security cameras had shown that the culprit might have headed that way.



"No way am I waiting here by myself, I'm coming with you coach!" exclaimed Imran, grasping a hockey stick tightly in his hand.



"Come on then, quick! And give that stick to me. I don't want you walloping the first thing you see."



Child environment



Suleyman, dressed as a very handsome-looking cub, stood admiring himself in the mirror. This was the first fancy dress party that he had been invited to, and so with lots of enthusiasm and the help of his father he had made his very own costume.



"I'm the scariest cub in Glasgow," he growled.



Prizes:



* 1st and 2nd prize Awards for each category and age group*.

* Illustrations will be judged separately

* A Cash prize of £150 will be awarded to the best Young Writer (under 16 years)

* Islamic Foundation Book Vouchers

* Winning entries will be considered for possible publication



Entries will be assessed by a panel of independent judges. The results will be declared on the day of the Prize Giving Ceremony, which will be announced at a later date. The number of prizes may increase or decrease. The decision of the Foundation regarding prizes will be final.



The copyright of all entries will remain with the authors. Prizewinning entries may be published by the Islamic Foundation in its "Muslim Children's Library" Series.



Format of entries







* All entries except comic strips and artwork must be typed, 1.5-spaced and on A4 paper, in size 12 Times New Roman font.

* A cover page must be included (see above for details)

* We will only accept entries in hard copy accompanied by a digital copy ( in the form of a word-processed file in Word or another commonly-used application) sent on a CD or USB Drive or by email.

* Submitted entries will not be returned.







Send your entries to the following address:



Kube Publishing Ltd

7th International Writing Competition

MCC

Ratby Lane

Markfield

Leicestershire

LE67 9SY



AND emailed to



IWC@islamic-foundation.com



We look forward to hearing from you!