2011 Folkestone Book Festival Short Story Competition
A writing competition for all ages

The world will be celebrating the bicentenary of Charles Dickens in 2012, so to show our appreciation of this great author, and in particular, his association with Folkestone, for he came to the town many times, this year’s short story must in some way be connected with Charles Dickens and his time in Folkestone.

Charles Dickens called Folkestone: “One of the prettiest watering places on the south coast”, and in 1853 whilst holidayed at the Pavilion Hotel, he began writing

‘A Child’s History of England’, and the town appears as Pavilionstone in his essay ‘Out of Town’ from the collection (Reprinted Pieces).

In 1855 he rented number 3 Albion Villas (just off The Leas) “a pleasant little house with the sea below and the scent of thyme sweetening the breezes from the downs”. Whilst working furiously on the beginning of his novel Little Dorrit he found time for “swarming up the face of a gigantic and precipitous cliff” and could be seen many a day “from the British Channel, suspended in mid-air with his trousers very much torn at fifty minutes past 3pm”.

How to enter the competition

Entrants should submit a fictional story connected in some way with Charles Dickens and his time in Folkestone. The story must be all your own work and not been previously published.

The closing date for all entries is 16th October 2011

The age categories and word count per category are as follows:
- Age 8 & under (up to 500 words)
- Age 9 – 13 years (up to 1000 words)
- Age 14 – 17 years (up to 1000 words)
- 18 years and over (up to 2000 words)

The winning entries in each age category will receive a prize of £50, and their stories will be posted on the Festival website. The winners and runners up will be invited to a special reception during the Festival Week.

Remember to give us the following information at the start of your story

- Your age category
- The title of your story
- Your name, address, telephone & email

Then email your story to: shortstory@flits.org.uk
or send 3 copies to:
Friends of Folkestone Book Festival
c/o Waterstones Booksellers
16 Sandgate Road
Folkestone CT20 1DP