Closing date: 31 August 2017.
Heels dig in: Crime & Mystery Competition turns 24.
Bonnier Publishing Australia, home to Five Mile and Echo imprints, is now the proud sponsor of the $1500 first prize in the 24th Scarlet Stiletto Awards, Sisters in Crime Australia’s annual short story competition.
Publishing director Kay Scarlett said it was not just the similarity in names that had spurred her and Bonnier Publishing Australia to become a partner in crime.
“For decades, Sisters in Crime has worked tirelessly to elevate the visibility of women’s crime writing in Australia, and been instrumental in fostering talent within the crime writing community. Its consistent programming of events and festivals over the years has cultivated a platform for women to gather, share their writing and ideas, and for friendships and support networks to form,” Scarlett said.
Stories must have a crime or mystery theme with a female hero or anti-hero. Maximum length is 5000 words.
PRIZES
As well as receiving the Bonnier Publishing 1st Prize of $1500, the overall winner will be presented with the coveted trophy, a scarlet stiletto with its steel heel plunging into a perspex mount.
The awards are amongst the richest short story competitions in Australia. A total of $8600 is on offer in prize money this year. The full list of awards includes:
- The Bonnier Publishing Australia Award: 1st Prize: $1500
- The Simon & Schuster Award: 2nd prize: $1000
- The Sun Bookshop Award: 3rd Prize: $500
- Award for Best Young Writer (18 and under): $500
- Melbourne Athenaeum Library ‘Body in the Library’ Award: $1000 ($500 runner-up)
- The Every Cloud Productions Award for Best Mystery with History Story: $750
- Kerry Greenwood Award for Best Malice Domestic Story: $750
- HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Romantic Suspense Story: $500
- Scarlet Stiletto Award for Best Financial Crime Story: $500
- Clan Destine Press Award for Best Cross-genre Story: $500
- Liz Navratil Award for Best Story with a Disabled Protagonist Award: $400
- ScriptWorks Award for a Great Film Idea: $200.
Closing date for the awards is 31 August 2017. Entry fee is $15 (Sisters in Crime members) or $20 (others).
To download an entry form, pay the entry fee and read the FAQs, go to:
www.sistersincrime.org.au/the-scarlet-stiletto-awards/
Scarlet Stiletto Awards 2016 trophy winner, Ruth Wykes with presenter Nicole da Silva, a star of Wentworth.