Writers from around the world are invited to enter the 26th International Radio Playwriting Competition. The competition is presented by the BBC World Service and the British Council, and co-produced by the Open University. Three winners will receive fully paid trips to London and there are two cash prizes of £2200 (US$3000).
To be eligible to enter the competition, writers must be over the age of 18 and be living outside the United Kingdom. Entries are encouraged from both new and established writers – one of last year’s winners had never written a play before and another had never written for radio.
The competition has two first prizes – one for writers with English as a First Language and another for writers with English as a Second Language. Both winners will receive £2200, be flown to London to attend an award ceremony and see their plays recorded for broadcast on the BBC World Service.
The competition also offers an ‘encouragement’ award in the form of the Georgi Markov Prize. The winner of this prize will receive a trip to London and two weeks accommodation – a week of which will be spent with the BBC’s London Radio Drama department and a week with BBC World Service. This prize does not include recording or broadcast of the writer’s script.
To enter the competition writers need to provide:
- A script for a 53 minute radio play with up to six central characters (approximately 9000 to 10,000 words). The play can be on any subject; novel adaptations are not eligible and there must be no central roles for children.
- A play synopsis of up to 400 words.
- A completed entry form (this Word document also includes details of where to send your entry). There is no entry fee.
Plays entered in the competition must not have been previously professionally produced and must not, at the time they are submitted, have been offered for publication, performance or broadcast in any other form or medium.
Before submitting your entry be sure to read the BBC’s Ten Tips for Writing for Radio.
Entries for the 26th International Radio Playwriting Competition close on Wednesday 31 January 2018. For further details visit the BBC World Drama website.
Below: watch the BBC Radio Drama North team share some advice on writing successful radio drama script