A CREATIVE writing competition has been launched in Bradford on Avon to celebrate the 100th anniversary of some women winning the right to vote.

The Bradford on Avon Women’s 100 Group is inviting men and women and boys and girls of all ages to empower their creative skills and take part.

The winners in each age category will be announced, and prizes awarded, on International Women’s Day, Friday, March 8 next year.

BoA Women’s 100 Group’s Katie Vigar said: “The competition is open to all and provides a chance to think creatively about what female empowerment has meant and continues to mean.”

The classes (ages as on February 1 2019)are: age eight and under, age 9-11, age 12-14, age 15-18, and adults aged 19 and above. Entries should be in by 4pm on February 1, 2019.

Entrants will be able to write in whatever genre they wish, fiction or non-fiction, on one of the following themes: strong women, what does it mean to be a feminist? and #girlpower.

All entrants aged 14 and under are being asked to write a maximum of one side of A4. Entrants aged 15-18 and adults should write a maximum of two sides of A4.

The competition judges are local authors Alex Campbell and Anna Vaught.

They say: “Let your imaginations run wild. Don’t be afraid to express yourself in your own way and in your own words. Find your voice.”

Alex Campbell is the author of YA novels, ‘Land’ and ‘Cloud 9’, and has been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie 2016 Award.

Alongside her writing she is a copywriter and creative writing teacher, and also helps run the Bradford on Avon family book festival, BOAMBF, with a group of local children’s authors.

Anna Vaught is a novelist, critic, reviewer, flash fiction writer, poet and editor. She is also a secondary English teacher, one-to-one tutor, mentor and mental health advocate.

Anna’s short work has been published widely and her novels are Killing Hapless Ally (2016), The Life of Almost (2018) - both Patrician Press - and Saving Lucia (Bluemoose, 2020).

She has recently submitted a fourth novel, The Revelations of Celia Masters, to her publisher. Anna is writing her fifth novel while editing an anthology and writing flash fiction.

All entries should be submitted by 4pm on Friday, February 1, 2019.

For details, go to https://www.boawomens100.co.uk/#entry, or download an entry form and email it to info@boawomens100.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can download an entry form, fill it in and post it with your entry to BoA Women’s 100 Creative Writing Competition c/o 21 Church Street, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1LN.