The Cheshire Prize for Literature

The Cheshire Prize for Literature was inaugurated in 2003 as The High Sheriff’s Cheshire Prize for Literature.
Dr Emma Rees, Chair of the Judging Panel; Tim Firth, Guest Speaker; Simon Gotts; Diane Booth; Tessa Sheridan; Heather Freckleton; Mr William Fergusson, High Sheriff of Cheshire;  Amanda White, Bank of America Communications Manager
Dr Emma Rees, Chair of the Judging Panel; Tim Firth, Guest Speaker; Simon Gotts; Diane Booth; Tessa Sheridan; Heather Freckleton; Mr William Fergusson, High Sheriff of Cheshire; Amanda White, Bank of America Communications Manager
Thank you to everyone who entered this year's Competition.  The Awards Evening was held on Wednesday, 9th December, in the presence of the High Sheriff of Cheshire and Tim Firth, our special guest speaker.  We are delighted to announce the following prize-winners for The Cheshire Prize for Literature 2009.

This major regional competition is funded by Bank of America, and administered by the University of Chester. The aim of the competition is to encourage the literary talents of new and existing Cheshire writers. The three main themes are Short Stories, Children's Literature and Poetry, which alternate each year.

Free-to-enter

It is one of the few free-to-enter literary competitions and offers not only a significant cash prize for the winner and runners-up but also the opportunity to be published. Each year the prize winners and the best of the short-listed entries from the previous year's competition are published in an anthology by Chester Academic Press.

As Simon Gotts, a previous winner, commented, "Most writers want two things, recognition and to be read. The Cheshire Prize offers the chance of both."

All writers whose entries will be included in the resulting anthology will be contacted by early January.

  

Winners for 2009!


Winner - £2000 prize
'That Going to the Zoo Thing'
Tessa Sheridan, London

Runner-up - £450 prize
'Summer Show: Schedule of Events'
Simon Gotts, Denbighshire

Highly Commended - £100 prize
'The Audsley Chimera'
Diane Booth, Chester

Highly Commended - £100 prize

'Praying to the Dead Michael Jackson'
Heather Freckleton, Chester

Highly Commended - £100 prize

'The Owlatorium and the Cat-King'
Kirsty Logan, Glasgow


Please Note

The 2010 Cheshire Prize for Literature will be announced in the coming year.