THERE are less than two weeks left to apply for an international creative writing competition.

The deadline for applications for the Bridport Prize is May 31 and writers, poets and novelists are encouraged to submit an entry.

There is £20,000 in prizes to be won across categories including poetry, short story, flash fiction and novel.

The competition launched the career of best-selling novelist Kate Atkinson, who credits the Bridport Prize with helping her find her agent.

She said: "I have enormously fond memories of the Bridport Prize. It gave me one of the first affirmations that I could write. The story I wrote for the competition was the first time I felt I found that elusive thing – my ‘voice’.

"Without the Bridport Prize I would probably not have found my agent and quite possibly wouldn’t have written Behind the Scenes at the Museum so I have a lot to be thankful to it for."

For more information and to apply, visit the Bridport Prize website.