WRITERS have until June 30 to get their entries in to the Bridport Prize for a chance to win £5,000 for a short story or poem.

Entries are up by 1,000 on this time last year – with significantly more Dorset writers vying for the Bridport and Lyme Regis News-backed prize than ever before.

By the time the competition closes the army of volunteer readers will have to begin the process of selecting a short list from more than 15,000 entries.

Ever since it became a regional contest in 1980 the prize has been growing in prestige and popularity.

Last year 15,000 short stories and poems were submitted from 88 different countries and this year organiser Frances Everitt is expecting more.

She has taken on more volunteers to do the initial reading.

She said: “I never like to say to say at this stage but we are 1,000 entries up on this time last year.

“I am anticipating we will get a quite a bit over the 15,000 we got last year, which is quite a scary thought.

“I have notice there are many, many more local submissions so there will much fiercer competition for the local prize.

“I think it is wonderful that so many more local people are beginning to participate in something homegrown that has grown into a well respected international literary competition.”

The winners will be invited to attend the prizegiving on November 26 which will be part of the Bridport Open Book Festival – another festival that is growing bigger and better by the year, said Ms Everitt.

She said: “There will be lots of participatory workshops in the festival, more than previously and lots of exciting things being planned.”