Lgbti New Zealanders are being urged to get their creative juices flowing for The Wallace Arts Trust Prize short fiction contest. Short stories on the theme ‘A Kiwi Romance’ are being called for. The annual competition is being run by Alternative Bindings, which runs events at Auckland Pride Festival each year for people who love books and the written and spoken word. “The events we run include poetry meets, creative writing workshops, book groups and this contest and are all imbued with a feeling of empowerment and ownership of a range of diverse individual identities,” says Andrew Rumbles from Alternative Bindings Established or emerging writers are invited to pen a short story using no more than 750 words. Rumbles says budding writers should edit and reflect on what and how they have written their story. “Maybe seek out a writer they admire and get some constructive feedback from them. Friends’ feedback is always lovely but doesn’t always help to take a fun story idea and turn it into a short story that engages and delivers the way great short fiction can. The winning story will be announced in Auckland during Auckland Pride Festival 2016 and published on GayNZ.com. Judges are writer and filmmaker Peter Wells, author Julie Helean, the 2014 Alternative Bindings writing competition winner Gina Cole, and writer of novels, short stories and history Stevan Eldred-Grigg. With support of Wallace Foundation, the prizes for 2016 are $600 for the Wallace Arts Trust Prize Best Short Story and $300 for the Wallace Arts Trust Runner-up Short Story. Rumbles says having the Wallace Arts Trust on board is very exciting. “It gives increased mana to the contest. We appreciate Sir James belief in the power of creative writing to make the world a more enjoyable place.” Email alternativebindings@gmail.com for full entry criteria. Entries close 1 December 2015. Last year’s winners can be found here You can follow Alternative Bindings on Facebook here Jacqui Stanford - 30th September 2015