BRADFORD Literature Festival is teaming up with top publishers to launch a new writing competition.

Simon & Schuster UK and The Darley Anderson Literary Agency are working with the annual festival to find the next bestselling commercial fiction author in the inaugural Write Here, Right Now competition. They want to hear from writers who haven’t yet found their route into publishing. The competition is now open and the winner will be announced at the Bradford Literature Festival in June.

The theme provided for entrants to consider is new beginnings and discovery. Writers are encouraged to submit their work in whatever fiction genre they like, from women’s fiction to crime, historical to psychological thrillers, and everything in between.

Darley Anderson agent Tanera Simons said, “We are hugely excited to be involved in launching this competition alongside Simon & Schuster and the Bradford Literature Festival.

"We’d love to find an emotive, character-driven story that draws you in from page one and just doesn’t let you go. We want just as many entries as possible, from writers of all walks of life: we encourage anyone who is nervous to apply to just go for it.”

Simon & Schuster Editorial Director Anne Perry said, “Open submissions are a brilliant way to discover new talent and encourage writers to take a chance with a project they’ve been working on. We are absolutely thrilled by the opportunity to work alongside our colleagues at Darley Anderson and in conjunction with the Bradford Lit Festival to discover and celebrate new voices from around the country.”

Festival Director, Syima Aslam (pictured), said “This is an incredible opportunity to showcase the work of emerging writers and we’re looking forward to hosting the finale at this year’s festival. At BLF we are committed to promoting diverse voices and can’t wait to see a plethora of cultures and experiences reflected in the submissions and to introduce our audiences to a fantastic short list of new fiction.”

For more information and to enter the contest, visit www.simonandschuster.co.uk/c/Write-Here-Right-Now