Wednesday 17 July 2024

We are now OPEN for your submissions on the theme of Family

The theme of our 28th event is Family and the event is named 'Family Affair', the title being taken form the Sly & the Family Stone 1971 classic funk track.

We are now open for your submissions. We close at the end of Sunday 22 September (ie at 23.59 one minute to midnight). Submissions are free as always. We accept both new and previously published stories.

The event will take place on Sunday 3 November at 7.30 (doors 7.00) at the Cotswold Playhouse in Stroud. 'Family Affair' is the opening event of the 2024 Stroud Book Festival.

As always, we will choose ten stories for their authors to read/perform to the Playhouse audience. Stories to appear in our next anthology (due 2026).

Tickets, priced at £12, go on sale on Friday 4 October from the Cotswold Playhouse website.

Family can mean anything - from two people to multiple generations.Try to think widely when writing for SSS and remember to check out my Writing Tips here.

Try to think beyond the domestic setting if you can. And please no stories about dead or dying children.

My co-judge will be the award-winning short story author and novelist Joanna Campbell. Info about the judges is here.

Info about the Rules and How to Submit is here.

Joanna and I are already looking forward to your brilliant stories.

John