Entries can be submitted any time during this period, but must be received no later than 28th October 2011.

Four prizes will be awarded

1st: £500
2nd: £300
3rd: £100 (2 prizes)

Ø Entry is free and open to UK residents over 18.
Ø Submitted entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published.
Ø Entries should be in English with a minimum length of 1500 words; maximum 3000 words. Apart from erotica and children’s stories, there is no restriction on subject matter.
Ø A featured story will appear online each month with a brief extract published in the health magazine Your Healthy Living, the author receiving £50. These stories remain eligible for the main prizes.
Ø Closing date 28th October 20011
Ø Winners will be announced in early 2012 and the winning entries will be published in an anthology.

Ø Full details on the competition and how to enter can be found at avogel.co.uk/story

The Judges:

Della Galton

James Wong

Ann Burnett

Tracy McLoughlin

Della Galton has been selling short stories for over 20 years. She sells between 80 and 90 short stories a year to markets in the UK and abroad. Her first two novels, published by Accent Press, are Passing Shadows (2006) and Helter Skelter (2007).
How to Write and Sell Short Stories, (2008) is on its second edition. Della’s latest book, The Dog with Nine Lives is a true story.

Della also teaches creative writing, is a popular speaker at writers’ conferences across the UK and is the agony aunt for Writers Forum Magazine. Her website is www.dellagalton.co.uk

James Wong, ethnobotanist and star of BBC’s Grow Your Own Drugs, is passionate about plants. His award-winning six-part series cooked up home-made herbal remedies for a variety of common ailments, as well as some great beauty fixes. James is also well known from his appearances on Countryfile, Gardeners’ World, The Chelsea Flower Show, ITV’s Alan Titchmarsh Show and BBC Breakfast.

The author of two internationally best-selling books, Grow Your Own Drugs and A Year With James Wong, James will be reading and judging the best of your relaxing stories for bedtime. Read more about James on www.jameswong.co.uk.

Ann Burnett has a Masters in Creative Writing and her short stories, articles and children’s stories have been published frequently in UK magazines and abroad. Her novel, Loving Mother, is available on Amazon. Based in Ayr, Ann is an experienced creative writing tutor and her website is www.annburnett.co.uk. You can read some of Ann’s articles at www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/ann31266

Tracy McLoughlin Editor of Your Healthy Living, the UK’s widest read natural health magazine, has been a health journalist for more than 20 years. Although her working days are filled with facts rather than fiction, at the end of the day she enjoys reading a good story and is looking forward to reading your relaxing bedtime stories.

and the Sponsor…
A.Vogel is a leading UK manufacturer of licensed herbal remedies. The company produces an extensive range of products focusing on A.Vogel fresh herb remedies. One such product is A.Vogel Dormeasan - a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of sleep disturbances caused by the symptoms of mild anxiety, exclusively based upon long-standing use as a traditional remedy. Always read the leaflet.

For further information please contact Catherine Lang on 01294 204713 or email
catherine@bioforce.co.uk