THE 2023 INK ACROSS BORDERS PRIZE
A competition that aims to build a bridge between East and West, North and South.
The 2023 Ink Across Borders Prize
This competition is seeking out literary talent in Africa, Asia, and other typically underrepresented parts of the world. At The European Society of Literature, we believe places such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sudan, Nigeria, Kenya, The Phillipines, China, and many other countries are growing literary hotspots. In order to ensure writers from these places have the opportunity to gain international attention, we’re launching The 2023 Ink Across Borders Prize.
DATES
Submissions open: 9 February 2023.
Submissions close: 14 May 2023.
Longlist announcement: 21 May 2023.
Shortlist announcement: 28 May 2023,
Winner announcement: 1 June 2023.
SUBMISSION FEE AND PRIZE
Submission fee: 2 Euros
Prize if you win: 200 Euros + publication in the second edition of our Europe-based literature magazine, The European Literary Review + international recognition and prestige — our organisation has hosted successful writing contests in the past + lifetime membership in the society.
THEME
The theme for The 2023 Ink Across Borders Prize is ‘Pain’. Writers should incorporate the notion of pain, physical and/or emotional/mental, into their work however they see fit. What matters most is whether you submit a fine piece of writing — it isn’t so much about how close to the prize theme you make your work. The notion of pain or suffering must exist in your writing, even if it is subtle.
WHO CAN SUBMIT?
Anyone from a country traditionally considered as part of ‘the Global South’ can submit to the writing competition. This includes the emerging economies in the East, such as Vietnam, The Phillipines, Indonesia, and others. You don’t need to physically live in the Global South, but we ask that you have some tie to it, whether it be ethnic, national, cultural. We also ask that your submission be written in English, as our judges mostly speak that as their first language. If you have any questions, feel free to email admin@litsoceu.com
JUDGING
The European Society of Literature’s competition team is made up of writers, authors, journalists, avid readers and people within the field of literature. Submissions will be passed between them all and judged on the basis of their literary quality. The judging process is a strict one, and there is a very high standard of quality at The European Society of Literature, so you can rest assured that a low quality piece of writing won’t be favoured over something fantastic.
SUBMISSION LENGTH
The word count should be no more than 1500 words. The minimum word count is 500 words.
TYPE OF SUBMISSIONS
All submissions should be fiction short stories. As mentioned before, they should explore the theme of ‘pain’. Poetry and essays are not accepted. If you wish to submit poetry to one of our organisation’s contests, then we recommend The 2023 Bloom Writing Contest, which is running simultaneously with The 2023 Ink Across Borders Prize.
HOW DO I SUBMIT?
To submit to the competition, there is a 2-step process.
The first step is to submit your writing piece via the submission portal below. Enter your email address so we can tie the submission to you.
The second step is to click the button that says ‘Entry fee payment’ and follow the prompts. To validate your submission, you need to pay the 2 Euro fee. Make sure the email you enter is identical to the email you enter on the submission portal (so we can tie it to you).
When this is finished and the payment clears, you are officially in the competition. Good luck, and happy writing!
UPDATE: Submissions are now closed! Thank you for participating!
We recommend you follow us on Twitter to stay updated on news related to the contest, as well as various other opportunities the society offers.
RULES AND TERMS
You must be at least 17 years of age to submit.
You must submit your piece in English
Closing date for entries is May 14, 2023 at 23:59 (Berlin time).
Your piece must be your own work, not the work of others. Evidence of plagiarism will have your work removed from the competition.
The minimum entry fee is 2 Euros, but if you choose, you can donate any amount you wish (as long as it is at least 2 Euros). If you donate 100 Euros, your submission to the contest is still valid.
You may enter the competition as many times as you want. Each time, you will have to pay the submission fee (min. 2 Euros).
If you enter the competition more than one time, don’t use different names. You can use a pen-name if you wish, but stick to that name.
Any entrant can opt to remove themselves from the competition prior to the closing date, but no later than that.
The submission must be in either DOCX or PDF form. Other file types are forbidden.
The formatting of your writing piece should be 12 point, double-spaced. Page numbers should also be included.
Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but let us know via email so we don’t mistake anything for plagiarism.
By submitting a piece, you accept all of the rules stated above and give The European Society of Literature permission to publish your work in the journal granted you win, or are shortlisted/longlisted. Entries that don’t conform with the rules stated above will be disqualified and you may have to resubmit. For any further information and inquiries, please contact admin@litsoceu.com. Thank you, and happy writing!