Summer Short Story Competition

Welcome to the Ferne Animal Sanctuary Summer Short Story Competition 2024! By entering this competition, you agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions. Please read them carefully before submitting your entry.

Eligibility:

- The competition is open to all individuals, regardless of age or location.
- Participants may enter only one story per person.
- Entries must be original works of fiction and not previously published.

Story Guidelines:

- Your story can feature any creature that Ferne Animal Sanctuary has cared for or could care for. - It may also feature the people who look after these creatures.
- The story can be set in the past, present, or future and does not need to be set at Ferne Animal Sanctuary.
- The story should reflect Ferne’s values of kindness, caring for creatures, responsible pet ownership, and environmental stewardship.
- The story must be written in English.

Story Categories and Length:

- Early Learning Years and Key Stage One: Maximum 500 words (no minimum).
- Key Stage 2: Maximum 500 words (no minimum).
- Key Stage 3 and Young Adult: Maximum 1000 words (500 minimum).
- Adults: Maximum 1000 words (500 minimum).

Submission Guidelines:

- Entries open on Saturday the 20th of July a and close on Sunday 1st of September at 12am – all entries must be received by the closing time and date.
- All entries must be submitted via the online form on our website.
- Submissions received after the closing date will not be considered.

Each entry must include the following information:

- Your name
- The title of your story
- The age category you are entering
- Please keep a copy of your submission.

Judging and Prizes:

- The competition will be judged by Ferne Sanctuary Ambassador Zoë Jasko.
- Prize-winners will receive a gift and their story will be published in Ferne Sanctuary’s magazine during 2024-2025.
- Winners will be notified by email by 1st October 2024.

General Conditions:

- By entering the competition, you grant Ferne Animal Sanctuary a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publish your story in its magazine and on its website.
- By entering, all entrants licence Ferne Animal Sanctuary to edit, publish and use each entry in any and all media (including print and online) for publicity and news purposes relating to this competition.
- We do not accept submissions written by, or in any way created with the use of, AI writing tools such as ChatGPT.
- Ferne Animal Sanctuary reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not comply with these terms and conditions.
- The judges' decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome.
- The Promoter may at its absolute discretion vary or amend the competition and the entrant
agrees that no liability shall attach to the Promoter as a result thereof.