A month or so back I was scanning Google for writing sites when I discovered Radio Wildfire; an online radio broadcast that concentrates on literature, spoken word performances and oral art. I listened to their latest broadcast (known as The Loop) and loved it. When I’d finished I read the ‘About’ page and discovered they’re also based in the West Midlands! So I emailed them.
It turns out Radio Wildfire is run by a collective which includes Dave Reeves; a writer, performer and editor whose writing has been commissioned for inclusion in public art and by BBC national radio, and has appeared in publications which include Poetry Australia and Norwegian text books. As an editor he previously edited Raw Edge; a literary magazine in the West Midlands.
Having taken up far too much of his valuable time on the telephone, I can also reveal Dave is a very friendly, approachable and interesting chap who has kindly agreed to help me with our next competition.
So, the competition rules:
Theme
There is no set theme; your bursts can be about anything you like – whatever you feel would make a good narrated tale.
The judges
There will be two judges from the Radio Wildfire team and one Guest Judge invited by Radio Wildfire:
Dave Reeves – writer, editor and presenter of re:Lit, the live literature programme on Radio Wildfire.
Vaughn Reeves – producer of re:Lit, curator of The Loop on Radio Wildfire, and currently developing a non-league football show, Project Football.
And the Radio Wildfire guest judge, Roz Goddard – short story writer, poet and
coordinator of the West Midlands Readers’ Network.
Timings
The competition will run for 2 months from October 1st until November 12th.
Submissions
All submissions must include a narrated audio track of no more than 1,250 words. To submit an entry, post your audio burst on Burrst.com and mark it for the competition by including the words ‘Radio Wildfire Entry’ as the first line in the initial comment. You can submit more than one entry.
Who can take part
The competition is open to all Burrst writers (except those directly involved in running the website).
Prizes
The winner will receive £50 and have their audio burst broadcast on the December edition of re:Lit on Radio Wildfire, and later in The Loop, with the option to record a longer piece for broadcast on a later edition of The Loop. The winner will also be interviewed for transmission in the same edition of re:Lit (dependent upon the individual having a suitable Skype connection).
The runners-up will have their audio burst broadcast on an edition of re:Lit and in The Loop on Radio Wildfire.
Radio Wildfire reserves the option of transmitting other shortlisted audio bursts.
My background, as many of you will be aware of by now, is predominantly web, and so for the benefit of the community (all of us), I’m actively looking to collaborate with people with far stronger writing backgrounds than myself. I believe this will further establish the credibility of Burrst as a writing community and better promote the writing of our members. I very much hope this is the first of many collaborations with Radio Wildfire and Dave Reeves. If you haven’t already, I recommend you visit the Radio Wildfire website and listen to the latest edition of The Loop at www.radiowildfire.com.
Radio Wildfire transmissions
re:Lit is transmitted live online on the first Monday of each month at 20.00-22.00 hrs, UK time. It is not recorded and cannot be heard in its entirety at any other time.
The Loop is curated from tracks played on re:Lit and other material and plays at all times between the live transmissions. It is updated monthly.
Creative Writing Contests 