DESPITE being forced by the Covid-19 pandemic to cancel this year’s event, Minehead Literary Festival organisers are going ahead with a popular feature of the event – short story and poetry competitions for writers of all ages which this year will be focussed on the theme of hope.

“We are keeping positive about delivering a festival next year,” said MLF spokesperson Monica Hartwell. “Sadly last year’s festival was postponed and ultimately cancelled but the writing competitions ran and were still popular.

“So this year we are again going ahead with the competitions for both children and adults to be launched on February 15 with the theme of hope and we are hoping for a really spectacular number of entries.”

The adult competition, for 16-year-olds and above, should be 500 words or fewer as an illustrated poem or piece of writing. The junior contest is for entries of 250 words or less for five-ten-year-olds and up to 500 words for aspiring writers of 11-15.

Adult entries will be judged by noted local writer and translator Teresa Waugh, widow of the late Auberon Waugh, whose novels include ‘Painting Water’, ‘The House’ and ‘A Long Hot Unholy Summer’. The judge for the junior entries has yet to be decided.

Deadline for entries for both competitions is April 5. To enter, complete the online submission form on mineheadliterarycompetition.org