CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR 2010 DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE

Third award of worlds biggest literary prize for young writers

This is a competition that is close to my heart having served on the board of directors for the past six years in which time our 'little baby' has turned into the most successful prize for young authors and writers.

Entries are being invited for what is the worlds biggest literary award for young writers the 30,000 ($45,000) Dylan Thomas Prize which will be awarded for the third time in December 2010 to the best published work in the English language by an author under the age of 30 from any country in the world. Shorttlisted writers will be flown to Wales for a week long An Author's Christmas in Wales before the Prize announcement.

The deadline for submission of entries is 30th April 2010 and the full rules and entrty form can be downloaded from www.dylanthomasprize.com .

The Prize commemorates the life of Dylan Thomas who first published in his teens and then achieved an international reputation in his twenties.

Entry is open to published works in the English language of fiction, verse and drama and can be in the form of poetry, a novel, collection of short stories, broadcast radio play, play that has been performed professionally, screenplay that has resulted in a feature-length film. With a growing list of sponsors this year there will be now entry fee - but hurry not much time left to enter.

The Prize was established in Dylans home town of Swansea in 2006, is sponsored by the University of Wales and from this year will become an annual event.

An international panel of judges, chaired by the acclaimed television writer Andrew Davies, awarded the Prize in 2006 to Rachel Trezise for her volume of short stories, Fresh Apples and in 2008 Peter Florence, organiser of the Hay Literary Festival, chaired a judging panel which awarded the prize to Nam Le for his book The Boat

Says Prize board member Geoff Haden who has restored Dylan's birthplace The entries we have received in the past from all over the world have been outstanding and many of those authors and poets recognised by the Prize are now carving a niche in the literary world.

The longlist is expected to be announced in early summer by Prize ambassador Michael Sheen.

Further information Geoff Haden 01792 403333