PRT 2010 Writing Competition
We had an enthusiastic response to last year’s competition, so as a result we are continuing with the same three categories: comment, short story and lyric/rap. The competition is open to prisoners, prisoners' families and friends and former prisoners. 

Comment Topic: ‘Out for Good’
Your comment piece must relate to the topic ‘Out for Good’.
It can be about a news story relating to the topic or from your own experience. 800 words maximum

The Andrew Groves Short Story Topic: ‘Troubled Inside’
Your story must relate to the topic ‘Troubled Inside’. Poems, autobiographies and longer stories will not be considered.
1,500 words maximum

Lyric/rap Topic: ‘Inside Out’
Your lyric/rap must relate to the topic ‘Inside Out’. 500 words maximum

What happens to my work?
Many of the winning contributions have been published as articles or helped with research. Previous winners have been published in the Times Literary Supplement and the Guardian. Others have been published in the Prison Reform Trust’s newsletter.

Prizes – each competition
1st prize - £200, 2nd prize - £100, 3rd prize - £75

The Judges
Beatrix Campbell is an award-winning journalist, author, broadcaster, campaigner and playwright. She is also a writer-in-residence at a young offenders’ institution.

Kingslee ‘Akala’ Daley is founder of the Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company.  He engages young people, often those who are considered “hard to reach”, and helps them to achieve artistic excellence. He won a MOBO award in 2006 for best hip-hop artist.

Erwin James is a writer well known for his Guardian newspaper columns, reports and features on prisons and criminal justice issues. He is a trustee of the Prison Reform Trust.

Femi Oyeniran is a British actor and grime artist. He is most famous for his role as Moony in the 2006 film Kidulthood and its 2008 sequel Adulthood. He is involved in Smart Justice for Young People. In 2009 Femi directed the film Fresh Off the Boat.

Alan Rusbridger is editor of the Guardian. He has been a reporter, columnist, features editor and deputy editor of the Guardian.

Stella Tillyard is a best-selling novelist and historian. A visiting scholar at the Centre for Editing Lives and Letters at Queen Mary, University of London, she is also a judge for the BBC 2010 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction.

Closing date: Tuesday, 31 August 2010. Requests for leaflets/posters and entries and CDs/tapes should be posted or emailed to: Michele Byam, Prison Reform Trust, FREEPOST ND6125, London EC1B 1PN.

You can download a leaflet explaining the competition categories and rules here