The prize was founded to commemorate writer and critic Sir Victor Sawden Pritchett. As well as the first place prize money there are several supplementary awards, including one for writers based in Dorset.
Stories must be previously unpublished. To celebrate the efforts of all participants, every single entry receives a certificate.
His work concentrates on the lives of working class characters in his native West Midlands, seeking, as a Guardian review of his novel Iron Towns suggests, 'a fictional enactment of communal identity and shared culture'. Winners are published in an anthology in addition to receiving prize money.
Previous prizes have also included a week-long residency and an expenses-paid trip to the Cork International Short Fiction Festival.
In addition to the main prize, the winner and two runners up will be invited to attend the symposum in Venice. Entries must be published works, and individual poets cannot enter their own work.
Read Janine's entry.