Here at the Cranborne Chase & Chalke Valley Partnership we’re launching our Creative Writing Competition 2023 called ‘A Sense of Place: Cranborne Chase’. Entry will close on Monday 16th October 2023.
The winner will be announced in a special e-news the following week. If you’d like to receive our monthly e-news just sign up here: https://cranbornechase.org.uk/newsletters/.
A Sense of Place: Cranborne Chase
What creates a sense of place? People are connected to the landscape in different ways. We know Cranborne Chase National Landscape as a location, marked out by boundaries on a map, but what do the people around this place think? We pass each other as we weave through the landscape, enjoying a walk, driving from one place to another, working or shopping in the villages, towns, and farms – or even visiting as tourists for the first time. But we don’t know how others understand or see this place. We don’t get a window into our shared experiences…
Imagine being able to delve into writings, poems, thoughts, images and feelings collected from all sorts of people, expressing your shared environment, building a sense of the place we know as Cranborne Chase. And imagine being able to contribute your own piece to this collection.
This competition aims to connect local people and visitors to our landscape, our heritage, and our communities. Entrants are asked to respond to the theme of ‘A Sense of Place: Cranborne Chase’ and explore the landscape, landmarks, countryside, features, village, towns, and people of Cranborne Chase, past and present, as their inspiration.
The ‘Sense of Place: Cranborne Chase Anthology’, featuring the winning entries from each category plus four runners-up, will be published online and showcased at a Festival of Words later in October 2023.
How to Enter
Entries can be fiction, non-fiction or prose, short stories or poetry, with a word limit of 500 words. Participants are welcome to supplement their entries with photographs, sketches or paintings to support their words and send them as well.
The competition is open to all – but entries will be divided into three age categories.
If you have already shared with us your writings during one of our previous workshops or left your contributions already in one of our poetry boxes consider yourself already entered.
There will be 1st prizes and runners-up prizes for each category. We encourage everyone who enjoys and has been inspired by the countryside and landscape of the National Landscape to take part.
Theme: ‘A Sense of Place: Cranborne Chase’
Word limit: 500 words
Closing date: 16 October 2023
Categories:
- Children: Ages 8-15
- Young People: Ages 16-25
- Adult: Ages 26+
Please submit your entry by email or post. For each entry, please let us know which age category you will be entering into.
By Email:
Entries for each category can be emailed to chaseandchalke@cranbornechase.org.uk
By Post:
Chase & Chalke Landscape Partnership, c/o Cranborne Chase National Landscape, Rushmore Farm, Tinkley Bottom, Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, SP5 5QA
——————————————-
This competition forms part of the wider ‘Words in the Landscape’ project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and will culminate in a Festival of Words this October.
Click here to read more about the project: https://cranbornechase.org.uk/chaseandchalke/words-in-the-landscape/
Through the competition our aim is to connect local people and visitors to our landscape, our heritage and our communities.
If you have any questions, please email chaseandchalke@cranbornechase.org.uk and we will help you.