‘The 5th Annual Ted Walters International Short Story, Poetry and Playwriting Competition 2011’

I am writing to you all today to inform you all about our very successful prize-winning international writing competition, in memory of one of our very own dear former writers; Mr Ted Walters, which is now thankfully in its 5th year.

Take good care of yourselves for now my writer friends and may my God bless you all and keep you safe from harm. I will be looking forward to hearing from some or maybe even all of you very soon. Our 5th Ted Walters International Writing Competition entry form and poster details are as follows below and attached with this email, and I would like to wish you all good luck in the competition, and for the future.

Tommy McBride.
Group Secretary.

The University of Liverpool
Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning
Associated Group Members of
The National Association of Writers’ Groups

Is to Commemorate
‘The 5th Annual Ted Walters International Short Story, Poetry and Playwriting Competition 2011’

1st Prize Short Story Category: Competition Winner will receive £200
2nd Prize Runner-Up will receive £50
3rd Prize Third Placed; a £15 Book Token

1st Prize Poetry Category: Competition Winner will receive £200
2nd Prize Runner-Up will receive £50
3rd Prize Third Placed; a £15 Book Token

1st Prize Playwriting Category: Competition Winner will receive £200
2nd Prize Runner-Up will receive £50
3rd Prize Third Placed; a £15 Book Token

There will also be a Long and a Short List of entrants in all of the three categories

Rebellions, controversy and forward-thinking are all to be celebrated throughout this year of 2011 and Liverpool:
‘The City of Radicals’
Competition Entry form and Rules
(The deadline for all categories will be 30th June 2011)

Linda Walters: Judge of Competition 2011

When the numbered A3 brown envelopes drop through my letter box on a regular basis, I know I have reached my favourite time of the year. This is the time when I have the privilege of reading and judging the entries to the Ted Walters International Writing Competition.

As it heads into its fifth year, I am inordinately proud of its achievements and of everyone associated with it. The decision, last year, to add a playwriting element to the original short story and poetry format proved to be a resounding success. We can now number playwrights among the friends we have made in the writing world because of Ted’s competition.

So, winter will turn to spring and spring into summer and your words will be with me constantly. They will accompany me on the long train journey to work; they will be my curled up on the couch companions every Sunday morning; they will line the bottom of my suitcase when I travel abroad.

I look forward to reading your work and I wish you all good luck. Thank you for entering. Thank you for making this competition a fitting tribute to a remarkable man.

To commemorate once again in 2011

Ted Walters was born in Liverpool, on the 17th April 1951. He grew up in the City, attending the Liverpool Collegiate School as a boy. Ted was always a very gifted communicator, with an impeccable sense of comic timing. He would often write long and hilarious letters to his friends and family, who persuaded him to try and share his talent with a much wider audience. His stories were always well received, and Ted’s writing was eventually published and broadcast on radio. Ted was a committed member of The University of Liverpool Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning. His enthusiasm for writing was only rivalled by his passion for football, and a life long love-hate relationship with Liverpool Football Club. Ted died of cancer on 15th August 2006.

Acknowledgement from the Group Secretary: Tommy McBride
As Group Secretary and Founder Member of The University of Liverpool Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning, I must say that the response and the quality of the writing to ‘The 4th Annual Ted Walters International Short Story and Poetry Competition 2010’ was fantastic once again. With many entries coming in from all over this big wonderful but troubled world that we all share. Over the last four years we have managed to raise a total of £2,148 for our Liverpool based creative writing group’s chosen charity; the ‘Macmillan Cancer Support’. I would like to personally thank each and every one of you writers throughout the world; to which I am delighted to say that I have made some new and good international friends; and especially to all of those writers who participated in our last four annual Ted Walters international writing competitions. Without you the money raised for the Macmillan Cancer Support to help those unfortunate cancer sufferers would never have been possible. Thank you all so very, very much, you’re wonderful submissions are really appreciated by all concerned. I shall repeat this once again because I can honestly never run out of good things to say about Ted Walters, because he was a man of great character with an infectious sense of humour and quick wit. He will always be remembered here on Merseyside as a very popular, valuable and sincere member of our successful writing group, and was respected by all. He truly was gifted with the ability to make people feel at ease in his company. We all feel extremely proud to be running this annual writing competition which is now in its fifth year; and is getting bigger and more popular every year in the very good name of Ted Walters. Tommy McBride; Group Secretary and one of Ted’s many friends.

Tommy McBride (Group Secretary)
The University of Liverpool Creative Writing Society for Lifelong Learning
50 Onslow Road,
Elm Park,
Liverpool,
Merseyside.
L6 3BB
United Kingdom.