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£2,000 up for grabs in writing competition

8th March 2011

Bombardier beer and Oxford Brookes University have joined forces to launch a major new writing competition as part of the Sunday Times Literary Festival, which offers a £2,000 cash prize – and it’s all centred around Britain’s national drink, beer!

The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over who writes about beer – or aspires to do so – from mainstream journalists and the top names of the beer-writing world, to young bloggers and as-yet-unpublished enthusiasts.

Entrants must write up to 1,500 words on the subject of beer’s role in society. The Evening Standard food and drink critic, Charles Campion, who is on the judging panel says: “We’re not looking for technical writing, campaigning tracts or extracts form guidebooks, we want a piece of writing which describes the joys and jolliness of beer. After all, beer is the most sociable drink in the world and doesn’t get fair recognition. This prize is an attempt to help change that.”

As well as Campion, judges will include Paul Wells from Wells and Young’s Brewery, Donald Sloan, the Chair of Oxford Gastronomica at Oxford Brookes University, and Pete Brown, writer and winner of the Michael Jackson Gold Tankard Award for Beer Writer of the Year in 2009.

Paul Wells says: “Beer is part of the fabric of our society in Britain and this is a fantastic opportunity to get more people exploring beer and its unique role in the UK. It’s by far the most varied drink in the world so I expect this to be reflected in the entries we receive. If you enjoy a pint or two, then this competition is for you!”

The closing date for entries will be Friday 1st April 2011. The winner will then be announced at the 2011 Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival on the evening of Friday 8th April, during a dinner and reception at the Oxford Malmaison Hotel

For full details on format of entries and submission process contact Razia Nabi (rnabi@brookes.ac.uk)