The Tudor Ghost Story Contest on again!

Wendy J. Dunn has some exciting news to share with you all… Welcome Wendy!

Tudor Ghost Story Contest

Fifteen years ago I wrote a regular column about the Tudors for an online site; I decided then to set in motion a Tudor Ghost Story Contest as a Christmas treat for my readers. The stories entered for judging were so impressive that I repeated the contest at the end of each year, until the time came for me to move on from my column and concentrate on other writing commitments.

I still remember vividly so many of the stories, like the very first winner of the contest, a beautifully written piece by Fred Pachter. Called The Visitation, it was a ghost story told by Barnaby Fitzpatrick, one of Edward VI’s closest friends.  Since then, the Tudor Ghost Story Contest has opened the door to the publication of ghost stories about Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Catherine Howard, Edmund Dudley, Jane Boleyn – and let’s not forget Anne Boleyn.

This contest became very special to me. Not only because of the wonderful ghost stories that were entered every year, but because it presented writers with another opportunity to see their work published.

Thanks to the wonderful Natalie Grueninger, author of In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn, and amazing webmistress of On the Tudor Trail, the contest gained a new lease of life about four years ago. Since then, award winning stories have been published on her website. Natalie and I are keen to see this continue. And there is more! Claire Ridgway from The Anne Boleyn Files and the Tudor Society is now supporting this contest – offering publication of the 2015 winning entry in the Tudor Society magazine.

So – without further ado –we are delighted to announce that August 1st sees the Tudor Ghost Contest again opened for entries. We will keep the door open to October 1st, with the winner announced on October 31st, in time for Halloween.

This year we are doing it a little differently. While entry is free, we are hoping people might consider donating a little something to the Mary Rose Appeal.

And, yes, I will be judging once again…First place getter will receive a copy of my young adult Tudor novel, The Light in the Labyrinth, a copy of Pamela Hartshorne’s wonderful time slip novel, Time’s echo and see their story published at On the Tudor Trail and also in The Tudor Life magazine.  One runner up will receive a copy of In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn, co-authored by Natalie Grueninger and Sarah Morris, and described as a ‘must-have’ for Anne Boleyn enthusiasts.

Conditions of Entry

Submit an unpublished Tudor ghost story of between 1,500-3,000 words. The story must be your own work and emailed to natalie@onthetudortrail.com by October 1, 2015.

Please note that all decisions are final and by submitting your story, you are agreeing to these conditions and give permission for On the Tudor and The Tudor Life Magazine to publish your entry.

Good luck!