Oct 21 - Rebecca Faller Shortlisted for Prestigious International Poetry Prize
Local writer and poet Rebecca Faller has been short-listed in the poetry section of The Bridport Prize for her poem ‘Sunday’ which takes a nostalgic look at days gone by. Ms Faller's poem finished in the top 200 of some 7,000 submissions. This is the first time Ms Faller has entered an international writing competition and is said to be “delighted and shocked in equal measure”.
The Bridport Prize International Creative Writing Competition was founded by Bridport Arts Centre in 1973 and has steadily grown in stature and prestige. Right from the start the competition attracted entries from all parts of the UK and from overseas. Today many thousands of entries are received from over 80 countries worldwide. The prize money and entry fees have risen over the years, and now the first prize in the poem and short story category is £5,000, second prize £1,000 and third prize £500.
In 2006 Fay Weldon agreed to become Patron of the Bridport and notable previous judges include Margaret Drabble, Rose Tremain, Tracey Chevalier and Ali Smith. In many cases a win in the Bridport Prize has led to further success stories and helped to launch new writers. Kate Atkinson (a short story winner in 1990) said that it was very important, confirming that she had found her "voice". Her short story went on to become the first chapter of her novel, "Behind the Scenes at the Museum", winner of the 1995 Whitbread Book of the Year. She returned to judge the Short Story section in 2001.
The mission of the Bridport Prize is to encourage emerging writers and promote literary excellence through its competition structure. “Mention the Bridport Prize and the eyes of writers everywhere light up. It's not just the money - though that's not to be sneezed at - it's a prize really worth fighting for in terms of prestige and genuine literary accomplishment” Fay Weldon CBE, patron of the Bridport Prize.
Pic: Stefano Blanca Sciacaluga
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