The Franco
Council Short Story Prize
GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATIONS 10/11
The FBC together with Prospect magazine and Eurostar announces the fourth year of its short story prize. The prize
aims to encourage more students to learn French and to promote awareness of the fascinating and varied culture of our
neighbours across the channel.
Following our tradition of having highly acclaimed writers on our jury panel, this year we are delighted to announce that
author Michael Morpurgo, whose story War Horse has been adapted into the a smash hit play and a Stephen Spielberg
film, will be helping us to select the winning entries.
This year we are asking entrants to be inspired by a few choice quotes from French literature in writing a story that
touches on some aspect of France or the French. The story does not have to be set in France but should simply
possess a French element, however tentative. Particular credit will be given to stories that are well plotted, set in a real
rather than abstract world and illuminate unexpected rather than familiar aspects of France or Frenchness. Above all we
are looking for writers who dare to take risks! Let one or more of these quotes ignite your imagination:
Words are loaded pistols.
Jean-Paul Sartre
Art must take reality by surprise.
Francoise Sagan
The poet is a madman lost in adventure.
Paul Verlaine
The writer of originality, unless dead, is always
shocking, scandalous; novelty disturbs and repels.
Simone de Beauvoir
Language is a cracked kettle on which we beat out
tunes for bears to dance to, while all the time we long
to move the stars to pity.
Gustav Flaubert
I am an artist…I am here to live out loud.
Emile Zola
Entries
Stories should be no longer than 1500 words, should be written in English and signed off by a professional such as a
teacher, tutor, doctor or lawyer as a guarantee that it is the sole work of the entrant. They must be emailed to
shortstory@francobritishcouncil.org.uk and a hardcopy posted to the Franco-British Council, 16-18 Strutton Ground,
London SW1P 2HP. Please write the name and profession of the guarantor in capitals.
Eligibility
There are two categories of entrants: Those aged between 16 and 18 and those aged between 19 and 25. To be
eligible you must be between these ages on 31st March 2011. Authors must be resident in the UK. See conditions of
entry for further information.
Essays must arrive by 1st April 2011
Prizes
Two return Eurostar tickets to France, £100 prize money and your story published in Prospect for the first prize winners of the
16-18 category and of the 19-25 category. Second prizes of £75 and third prizes of £50 will be awarded in each category.
The best entries will be published by the FBC in an exciting new anthology of short stories.
The stories will be judged by a jury selected by the Franco-British Council.
The names of the winners will be announced by 12th June 2011
Conditions of entry, further information on the prize and the Franco-British Council and application forms can
be obtained from www.francobritishcouncil.org.uk
The Franco-British Council generates new ideas through encounters between French and British individuals from a broad range of fields. Participants
in our events have included Thierry Henry (footballer) Ian Rankin (best-selling novelist), Bonnie Greer (Newsnight), and Ronnie Wood (guitarist,
Rolling Stones). Senior politicians such as David Miliband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg have also joined us at seminars. Past subjects covered
include Violence in Schools, Culture in the 21st century and Immigration and Integration and the reports are available from our website.