Other Literary Competitions
TOAD’S BRAVE NEW WORLD
Competition to write a modern Wind in the Willows announced
How would Ratty, Toad and Badger – some of English fiction’s most iconic and much loved characters – cope in the 21st century? That is the question posed by an exciting new writing competition announced today to celebrate the centenary of Kenneth Grahame’s classic book – The Wind in the Willows on 8 October 2008.
- Will Ratty be looking for love online? The water vole is the UK’s fastest declining mammal, the population having fallen by almost 90 per cent in seven years. With less water vole totty about, Ratty may have to search further afield to find the future Mrs. Ratty!
- Will Toad Hall get repossessed as the credit crunch bites? As the toad’s natural habitat declines, so too does the UK’s amphibian population, and that’s not all…
- Will Motor-mad Toad abandon his car to save his fellows? As the UK’s cash strapped drivers worry about filling their cars with fuel, British toads worry about getting splattered - cars are one of the biggest killers of toads today, with an estimated 20 tonnes of toads squashed every year.
- Will Badger get an ASBO for spreading Bovine TB? With badgers in the frame for the spread of Bovine TB, will upstanding and respectable Badger get served with an Anti Social Behavior Order!
- Will Mole be forced to shop in Tesco or Aldi? Earthworms, which form the bulk of a Mole’s diet, are being devoured by the ever-increasing population of the invasive New Zealand flatworm. So Mole may have to struggle with rising food costs at the local supermarket instead!
The competition has been launched by The River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames, (www.rrm.co.uk) - home to the UK’s only permanent exhibition on The Wind in the Willows.
The challenge is to re-frame Kenneth Grahame’s famous book for the 21st Century by creating a short story (under 4,000 words) in a contemporary riverside setting which reflects a drastically changing world.
The winner will receive an assessment from top fiction consultancy Real Writers as well as £500. Second and third places will also receive cash prizes. Full competition entry details are available at www.rrm.co.uk.
The judging panel will be made up of award-winning writers for children and young adults - Beverley Birch (Rift), S.I. Martin (Jupiter Williams), Paul Bryers (Kobal from The Mysteries of the Septogram), and Sarah Mussi (The Door of No Return).
Paul Mainds, Trustee and Chief Executive, River & Rowing Museum: “The Wind in the Willows is one of the great treasures of children’s fiction. Kenneth Grahame knew all about the power of the river on the imagination, and on our real lives. This competition gives authors the opportunity to re-animate these themes and make them more relevant for today’s young readers, especially in light of the environmental issues that now effect our rivers and the wildlife that lives in and around them. Entries don’t have to be about the River Thames, they can be about World Rivers and even mythical and fictional rivers. The brief is wide open for interpretation!”
The three winning stories will be published on the Museum’s website and will be available to readers online for 12 months. Entrants must be over 16 years old. Competition closes on 15 March 2009. For full terms and conditions visit www.rrm.co.uk.
If you’re thinking of entering the competition, why not seek inspiration at the The River & Rowing Museum’s Wind in the Willows exhibition? The museum is one of the UK’s leading regional and sporting museums, boasting over 100,000 visitors a year. And at just £5.00 (£7.00 for adults) for admission for a whole year – it’s a complete bargain!
The Museum galleries also explore the ecological, environmental and leisure uses of the River Thames as well as the international sport of rowing – areas close to hearts of the characters in Wind in the Willows.