The BEST & BRIGHTEST is a creative writing competition for student and graduate authors; the first competition that isn't just limited to the members of a single University's Students' Union, but which is open to students and graduates from across the United Kingdom, and beyond! If you want to get your work out there, gain some real far-and-wide recognition for your talents in creative writing, and garner some decent prize money, then the BEST & BRIGHTEST competition could launch you onwards to acclaim, fame, and those sales that we all know can be achieved, up there among the stars!

And not only for the finalists! Everyone who makes it onto our regional shortlists, at least ONE HUNDRED in all, will get their entry published, and earn royalties to boot. A select few will make it onto our final shortlist, and into the BEST & BRIGHTEST FINAL anthology, with the overall winner set to recieve not only a double share of the royalties, but a £200 CASH PRIZE!

The BEST & BRIGHTEST competition will be open to entries until the deadline of Friday 13th May 2012. After judging all of the entries on a regional basis, anthologies of the regional shortlists- Greater London, South-East England, South-West England, East Midlands, West Midlands, North-East England, North-West England, Scotland, Wales & Overseas (N.Ireland & international entries)- will be compiled and published by the 1st of June, made available both as ebook downloads and in print in paperback format.

From these, the decision as to who will make the BEST & BRIGHTEST FINAL anthology will not be made by the few, but by the many; the competitors, and those who purchase the regional anthologies, will all have 2 months to cast their votes before the final tally is taken. Those with the most votes, and the greatest popular support, will be the ones who make it through to the final shortlist, and into the BEST & BRIGHTEST FINAL anthology.

Of course, the BEST & BRIGHTEST competition is only open to University students and graduates. Entries have to be unpublished pieces of fiction, ranging from TWO THOUSAND to TEN THOUSAND words long. As well as short stories, we're prepared to accept excerpts from longer pieces of fiction, so long as they meet this word limit. As well as the double royalties and £200 jackpot for the overall winner, there are other prizes on offer as well! there are prizes of £80 and £60 for 2nd & 3rd place; £50 each will be awarded to the best student & best graduate, and a consolation prize of £40 awaits for the best entry that fails to make it through to our final anthology.

To submit, just send us your entry, along with your return address, and a brief section (less than 600 words) telling us about yourself, your credentials, and why your entry deserves to win this competition. You can send entries to us in the post, mailing them to New Dawn Publishers Ltd, 292 Rochfords Gardens, Slough, Berks, SL2 5XW, United Kingdom- or, if you're not too keen on the cost of P&P these days, you can always email your submission to us at newdawnpublishersltd@gmail.com. So why delay? Come and enter your work today!