Take control of the narrative with the Evening Standard Stories competition

Renowned authors, podcasters and TV writers join forces to help us find a new storytelling talent — could you be the winner we’re looking for?

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WHAT does it mean to belong — to feel at home, or that you’ve found your people? This is the theme we want you to explore in the 2023 edition of the Evening Standard’s hugely successful Stories creative writing competition, which is launched today.

You might think about communities or clubs, or the groups you find at parties, football matches, school rooms, chicken shops or even barbers, and be inspired to write about the joy that comes from feeling like you’re part of something.

Or you might decide to put a darker spin on it because, of course, not all collectives are positive. From Andrew Tate to QAnon, a shared belief can be as problematic as it is powerful. But whatever your take on the theme, this is an opportunity to tell an engaging story and win invaluable mentorship plus the chance to be published by the Evening Standard.

Your work doesn’t need to be limited to a short story, either. You could write a piece of spoken word or performance, perhaps it’s a monologue, or a self-contained episode of a narrative podcast. If you’re more comfortable speaking than writing, submit your entry as an audio or video file. Judges will be looking at the quality of the writing, not the performance.