Creative writing competition: Spread the Word Life Writing Prize

Emerging writers are invited to enter unpublished work up to 5,000 words to win £1,500 and an Arvon course

The winner also gets a year's membership of the Royal Society of Literature and development meetings with literary agent Robert Caskie and an editor at Unbound. Two runners up each get £500, a writing mentor and development meetings with Robert Caskie and an Unbound editor.

Now in its second year, the prize is run by London writer development agency Spread the Word in association with Goldsmiths Writers Centre. This year's judges are Erica Wagner, Hannah Lowe and Kwaku Osie-Afrifa (pictured).

All entries should be original, unpublished life writing (ie creative non-fiction that reflects the writer's own life and experiences), and may be the beginning extract of a longer work or a self-contained piece.

To enter, writers should not previously have had a full-length literary work published in print, broadcast or performed.

Entry is free. The closing date is 9 February.

For full details, see the website.

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