Look! Listen and take heed! We are delighted to announce the inaugural Penny Dreadful Novella Prize,  the world’s newest novella competition. At last, an opportunity to have your “not quite a novel but too long to be a short story” lauded and admired by all. Even by that guy you used to go to school with, you know the one we mean. We invite you to submit a manuscript, but what, pray tell, is a novella?

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

It’s difficult, nay, impossible to define what exactly constitutes a novella. We say however it is prose between 15,000 and 35,000 words. There is no topic off limits and we enforce no style or genre on your piece. It can be the thrilling narrative about a shoe who can talk or even something else that doesn’t concern talking shoes. The possibilities are endless. All we ask is that it is your original work, is in the English language and it is currently unpublished.

PRIZE

The Prize is €2,000 for the winning author  and publication of their novella by The Dreadful Press. That’s exciting.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submissions must be between 15,000 and 35,000 words. We open for entries on the 1st of June and close on the 31st of September. The cost of entry is €10 per manuscript at a maximum of two manuscripts per entry. Entries are open to Ireland and the UK only. It will be adjudicated by an international panel of judges* and the winner announced in January. At the time of entry, we will request the entire novella in a PDF, .doc or .docx format. Full Terms and Conditions will be published soon.

WHEN SHOULD YOU START WRITING?

Now! We look forward to your submissions

*To Be Announced Soon.