The 2021 New Media Writing Prize is now open for entries! Apply now!
The international event of the New Media Writing Prize (NMWP) is now in its 12th year. The NMWP encourages and promotes the best in new-media writing and is leading the way toward the future of the ‘written’ word and interactive storytelling. They showcase exciting and inventive stories and poetry that integrate a variety of digital formats, platforms, and media.
They are looking for good storytelling (fiction or non-fiction) written specifically for delivery and reading/viewing on a PC or Mac, the web, or a hand-held device such as an iPad or mobile phone. It could be a short story, novel, poem, narrative game, documentary, or transmedia work using words, images, film or animation with audience interaction. Interactivity is a key element of new-media storytelling. They are looking for creativity, so try to be imaginative to create an engaging story i.e. combining any number of media elements, such as words on a screen combined with images and video clips. New media writing can be created using a variety of tools i.e. a word processor, DV camera, social networking tools (i.e. Twitter), mobile phone/s, a scanner, Augmented Reality software – anything goes!
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
Criteria for all the categories: Innovative use of new (digital) media/transmedia to create an engaging, satisfying fictional or non-fictional narrative, poem, or other story forms.
- Ease of accessibility for the reader/viewer.
- Effective use of interactive elements.
- A great example of how new media can do things traditional media can’t.
- The potential to reach out to a wide audience (i.e. not just specialist interest groups).
They are not looking for a text-only story/poem which you simply upload to a web page or place on a disc. Non-interactive Word documents of PDFs are not eligible. They are not looking for screens of words uploaded to your blog, and they are not looking for a slideshow of photos uploaded to Flickr or a video uploaded to YouTube. The essence of new media writing for them is great storytelling which uses anything and everything that digital media can offer, along with user/audience interactivity. It’s got to be something that couldn’t work in ‘old’ media.
Benefits
- if:book UK New Media Writing Prize: £1000 donated by if:book UK.
- The Writing Magazine Student Award: Winner’s choice of one year’s free subscription to Writing Magazine; or a free creative writing course, tailored to the winner’s needs.
- The FIPP Digital Journalism Award: £500, plus a year’s membership with FIPP.
- The Opening Up Award: £500. The winner will be chosen through public voting.
Eligibilities
- Anyone can apply! Whether you’re a student, a professional, an artist, a writer, a developer, a designer or an enthusiast, the competition is open to all.
- It’s also an international competition, open to all outside the UK.
- Entries do need to be in English.
Application Process
Each entry for any of our Prizes should be submitted via the online form. Click on Apply Now for the application form.
Each entry should contain an active URL for the judges to access your work. However, if your entry is for viewing on a mobile phone, wearable, or other electronic devices, please provide clear instructions on how to view your piece. Each entry should contain the following information within the text of the entry form:
- Title of the work; clear access details, including, eg, URL, download instructions, app access code if required (if an access code is needed for an app, we require 6 free codes, for the judges)
- Entrant’s contact details: name, email address, telephone number and postal address. For joint entries, all entrants’ contact details must be provided with identification of the main entrant for contact purposes;
- Entrant’s short autobiography (50-100 words). For joint entries, all entrants must provide their autobiographies.
- Entrants who wish to submit as students must provide proof of identity which should be copied into the entry form in the short biography section, e.g. a scanned copy of the entrant’s Student Union ID card or university enrolment number, which will be authenticated at the organizer’s discretion.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
Application Deadline: November 26, 2021
Application ClosedOfficial link
