Mars Society – Bulgaria
announces
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE COMPETITION
with a theme
ONCE HUMANITY HAVE GROWN UP
THEME: The name of the competition is related to Tsiolkovsky quite „Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in a cradle forever.“
(it is recommended stories to be related to Mars, but it is not obligatory.)
Two categories are accepted: Prose and Poetry.
There are no age limitations.
PROSE – short story in one of the following subganres of Science Fiction:
– hard SF
– soft and social SF
– cyberpunk
– time travel
– alternative history
– military SF
– superman
– apocalyptic
– space opera
– space western
– anthropological SF
– biopunk
– comic SF
– steampunk
– mystery
POETRY – a poem
AWARDS:
Prose
1-st place: 150 BGN (~100 USD) and a diploma
2-nd place: 100 BGN (~70 USD) and a diploma
3-rd place: 60 BGN (~40 USD) and a diploma
Encouragement: a diploma
Young writer award (up to 18 years, exclusive): 100 BGN (~70 USD) and a diploma
Poetry
1-st place: 150 BGN (~100 USD) and a diploma
2-nd place: 100 BGN (~70 USD) and a diploma
3-rd place: 60 BGN (~40 USD) and a diploma
Encouragement: a diploma
Young writer award (up to 18 years, exclusive): 100 BGN (~70 USD) and a diploma
JURY:
1. A book reviewer in a publishing house
2. SF writer
3. Popular science literature author
(in process of adding more persons)
TERMS:
Nomination (a period of writings acceptance): since the announcement date until 27-th of Sep. 2013.
Posting the writings online: until 31-st Oct 2013
Short-listed writings: until 30-th of Nov 2013
Winners announcement: until 07-th of Dec 2013
Awards distribution: until 20-th of Dec 2013
RULES:
1. The language of the works is Bulgarian (written in original in Bulgarian or translated into Bulgarian).
1.1. Should foreign writers do not have a translator available, they can contact Mars Society Bulgaria via email specified (LitComp@MarsSociety.bg). We have ability to deliver translations from English, Spanish and Portugese (more languages on demand).
2. Text volume for Prose should not exceed 7,500 words.
Poems are without volume limitation.
3. Font: Times New Roman, 12 points of the main text.
4. Each writer may send up to 2 (two) works from Prose and Poem sections (up to 2 short stories and 2 poems) , which are not published in digital or printed form in Bulgarian.
You may send the works to e-mail LitComp@MarsSociety.bg until 27-th of Sep 2013, accompanied with following:
4.1. Participant’s data needed, completed in a separate attached file: complete names, date of birth, email, phone number (phone number would be used in case of emergencies).
4.2. Works for the competition – each work in a separate attached file of following file formats .doc, .rtf, .txt.
4.3. The works should contain work title and work text only.
5. All works, completed into the competition, remain in the fund of Mars Society – Bulgaria. The organizers of the competition have right to publish them or to use them otherwise with obligation to indicate writer’s name..
WORKS AND WRITERS, WHICH/WHO SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED:
1. Works, which are not within the stated volume.
2. Works that exceed the allowed number of works per writer.
3. Works already published in digital or printed form.
4. Works which have not sent to the specified email address.
5. Works, which have not sent into specified file format.
6. Works, which have not sent into specified timeframe.
7. Writers who haven’t submitted needed information.
8. Works, which are not consistent to literature Bulgarian language.
9. Works, which contain vulgarities.
10. Works with adult contents (works, which are oriented to adults are not accepted). (This includes not just nudity and sex, but also violence, horror, etc.) 11. Works, which contain plagiarisms.
12. Works, which are not consistent to the article „Text preparation“ (in Bulgarian, it is important for the translator).
13. Works, which are not consistent to other above-stated requirement.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
1. Works to comply to the competition theme.
2. Facts, mentioned in the work, to be realistic from scientific point of view or to be able to be concluded by modern science knowledge.
3. The work needs mentioning at least one scientific fact.
4. Works to have a literature value.
5. Works to be written in good grammar (as style, punctuation, syntax)
6. Demonstrated writer’s imagination
7. Novelty, new ideas and inovations
8. Plot originality
HOW THE COMPETITION IS RUN:
1. Any work, which complies to the rules and terms and is sent by 13.09.2013, 23:59:59 (UTC+3:00), shall be published online at the website of „Mars Society Bulgaria“ /MSB/ within 14 days since its receiving into competition email inbox. Works, sent after 13.09.2013 until 27.09.2013 г., 23:59:59 (UTC+3:00), shall be published until 31.10.2013.
2. Works, shortlisted by the jur shall be announced in a separate page under competition section at MSB site.
3. Noone from the jury knows who are the authors of the works.
4. Shortlisted works shall be evaluated by jury and so the winners shall be chosen.
(No right to participate have Mihail Mateev and jury members.)
Note: Authors, whose works do not comply as wordcount volume or the works are not short story nor a poem, but are willing their works to be published, have opportunity to have their works announced in „Other“ section of the competition, with no right to receive awards. You may see similar works from 2012 competition. Of course, we accept works from any area of the art.