The International Proverse Prizes for writing submitted and previously unpublished in English (may be in translation) are open for entry now.
1) The Proverse Prize for single-author book-length fiction, non-fiction, or poetry (founded 2008) offers a cash prize (HKD10,000.00) and publication. (HKD7.8 approx = US$1.00)
2) The Proverse Poetry Prize for single poems (founded 2016) offers cash prizes (1st, US$100, 2nd US$45, 3rd (X4), US$20) and anthology publication. (This year’s topic is “Shielding” interpreted in any way you choose. OR you may enter a poem on any subject of your own choice. Poems should, generally speaking, be max 30 lines, excluding the title and blank lines.)
Entry for each prize is available through the online submissions manager, https://proversehongkong.submittable.com/submit
The Proverse Prize is an annual international competition for an unpublished publishable book-length work of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry, established in 2008. It is open to all who are at least eighteen years old on the date they sign the entry form and without restriction of nationality, residence or citizenship.
Its objectives are: To encourage excellence and / or excellence and usefulness in publishable written work in the English Language, which can, in varying degrees, “delight and instruct”.
Each year’s Entry Form with confirmed Terms and Conditions is uploaded to this website no later than April every year.
In the meantime the following points may be followed for guidance.
Each submitted work must be an unpublished publishable single-author work of non-fiction, fiction or poetry, the original work of the entrant, and submitted in the English language. School textbooks are ineligible.
Translated work: If the Entered Manuscript is a translation into English of your own work, your Translator must also sign, date and obtain a witness’s signature wherever required.
Only Author-Entrants who own the copyright in their Entered Work (whether submitted in its original English or as a translation into English) may enter. An entity to which you as Author-Entrant have transferred the copyright in your work may not enter your work.
Extent of the Manuscript: within the range of what is usual for the genre of the work submitted. However, the following are advisable:
Novellas be in the range 30,000 to 40,000 words;
Other fiction (e.g. novels, short-story collections) and non-fiction (e.g. autobiographies, biographies, diaries, letters, memoirs, essay-collections, etc.) should be in the range, 75,000 to 100,000 words;
Poetry / Poetry collections should be in the range, 5,000 to 12,000 words (approx. 80-120pages);
Other word-counts and mixed-genre submissions are not ruled out.
NOTE: Writers may choose, if they wish, to obtain the services of an Editor in presenting their work, and should acknowledge this help and the nature and extent of this help in the Entry Form.
The Prize
1) Publication by Proverse Hong Kong.
2) Cash prize of HKD10,000.00. (HKD7.80 = approx. US$1.00) awarded on publication of the winning work(s).
(If there are two winners, the cash prize will be shared equally.)
Supplementary (publication) prizes may be made to selected other entrants.
Depending on the quality of the work submitted, the prize may be shared by at most two entrants or withheld, as recommended by the judges.
Video of the Proverse Spring Reception 2021, when the finalists for the Proverse Prize 2020 were announced, new books launched, and some of those successful in the Proverse Poetry Prize 2020 participated through prerecorded readings of their poems?
The video combines film of the live Proverse Spring Reception 2021 with pre-recorded readings and you can see it here: https://youtu.be/fmlYe8VtcIE
