Netflix Stories Festival launch party
(Picture: Lucy Young)Do you have a personal tale that will inspire, move us or change the way we think? Then the Evening Standard’s storytelling competition is the place to share it.
Dark and complex, funny, emotional, or radically honest ? the stories we tell about ourselves hold a special kind of power. The Evening Standard, in partnership with Westfield, is looking to nurture a new generation of writers, performers and makers with What’s Your Story? ? a competition open to anyone over the age of 18 and as yet unpublished, in Britain.
Stories connect us to each other, and the way we connect with stories is more exciting than ever ? which is why, this year, we are blowing open the parameters and encouraging entries in a variety of formats.
Answer the question, ‘What’s Your Story?’ in 1,000 words or fewer, written as poetry, as prose, as scripted dialogue or performed in a two-minute video.
Maybe it’s a tale of identity, self-discovery, overcoming adversity or finding a place to call home. Perhaps your story is one of loss, of forgiveness, of passion or adventure. It might be strange or shocking or it might make us laugh out loud. Winning entries will stop our judges in their tracks and demand their attention.
This is an opportunity for strong individual voices and fresh approaches.
We know that new creative talent is fizzing in the capital and beyond. People are finding unique ways to tell their stories, build an audience and offer a fresh perspective, but many are lacking access to the networks and resources that can really help amplify their voices. Through this competition, we are looking to inspire the next generation of storytellers.
HOW TO ENTER
Answer the question, ‘What’s Your Story?’ in 1,000 words or fewer, written as poetry, as prose, as a script for any medium or performed in a two-minute video.
Entries open and close on July 24, 2022, at 11.59pm. There will be two initial long-listing processes before a shortlist is submitted to a final judging panel. Judges will select one overall winner and two runners-up.
There is no fee to enter, and the winner will be given a platform and audience via standard.co.uk to showcase their work, while receiving mentoring from the brightest stars across creative industries.
Send your entries to stories.standard.co.uk/ competition by July 24 ? What’s Your Story?, a storytelling competition in association with Westfield London, gives a platform to up-and-coming writers and creators
MEET THE JUDGES
Chairing a dynamic panel of judges is journalist and author Lotte Jeffs, whose own career has spanned a mix of storytelling mediums from magazines and newspapers to podcasts, adult fiction, non-fiction, memoir and children’s books.
Fellow judge Jessica Loveland, head of new writing at the BBC, says: “This competition is a great way for aspiring writers to demonstrate their storytelling abilities and share their ideas. I’m excited to read and watch the work.”
Also on the panel is comedian and podcaster Andrew Hunter Murray and Deblina Chakrabarty, vice-president of MGM and a founding member of The Whole Kahani, a collective of
British fiction writers of South Asian origin. She reminds us that “from prehistoric cave drawings to 1001 Arabian Nights to a caption on an Instagram post, people have been trying to capture, create and communicate the essence of humanity since the beginning of time. I am delighted to join the ES Stories Festival and bear witness to all the stories that are being told within this 360-degree view across traditional published long-form as well as forms which are visual, poetic, electronic, short-form and everything in between”.
So, what are you waiting for? Enter the What’s Your Story? competition.
