UKBC Short Story Competition

We are pleased to inform you that we are organizing a short story competition in association with UKBC '24. This year, UKBC '24 will take place on 22nd and 23rd June 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. A Literature Festival is going to be arranged there. Whilst more details about theis event are due to be published, this short story competition is a part of the same.

The competition is open to submissions in both Bengali and English languages, and in online format only. For those who are interested, please carefully review the rules and regulations provided below. To participate, kindly submit your entries via email to ukbc24_litfest@mail.com, including your full name, age, and contact number, or fill out the form - https://form.jotform.com/241216026543043

Rules and regulations:

        1. The submitted content must be within the range of 1000-5000 words, written in either Bengali or English.

        2. The content should be submitted in either Microsoft Word (.docx, *.doc) or Apple Pages (.pages) format. Any other formats may not be accepted.

        3. Multiple entries are permitted, however, they must be submitted separately via the form or email.

        4. This competition is exclusively open to members of the Bengali diaspora residing in the UK in the year 2024.

        5. Participants may choose one of the themes presented below, or alternatively, submit a story in the open section utilizing any theme of their choice.

Themes:

        ১) প্রবাসে দৈবের বশে - প্রবাসী বাঙালির সাধ, সাধ্য, প্রেম, বিচ্ছেদ, আশা, আকাঙ্খার মিশেল, সাথে চাইলে একটু অতিপ্রাকৃত উপাদান। Talks about Bengali diaspora and their dreams, capacities, capabilities, hopes, despairs, etc., i.e. various human traits, and can be mixed up with some supernatural elements

        ২) শৃঙ্খলবদ্ধ মোহন মাঝসমুদ্রে ভাসিয়া উঠিল - বাঙালির হারিয়ে যাওয়া 'পাল্প ফিকশন', this can be only be submitted in Bengali language, to stress on the genre almost lost from Bengali fiction in the twentyfirst century.

        ৩) যাহারা তোমার বিষাইছে বায়ু, নিভাইছে তব আলো - প্রকৃতি, বিশ্বউষ্ণায়ণ বা প্রাকৃতিক দুর্যোগ ও ধংসলীলার ওপর লেখা ভৌতিক, অতিপ্রাকৃত, আধাভৌতিক বা অপরাধসাহিত্য। Thriller, crime triller, mystery, horror or supernatutal stories based on nature, natural calamities and/or global warming.

        ৪) যেকোনো ধরণের গল্প। Any other theme.

We hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity and participate in the competition. Thank you for your time.

Warm regards,

UKBC '24 Lit Fest team