WRITERS who are based in the West Country have the chance to win a £1,000 prize.

The Hall & Woodhouse Dorchester Literary Festival Writing Prize 2019 is now open to any local writers who have had a book published, by themselves or a local publisher.

This is the second year of the competition and offers a great opportunity for publicity and promotion, and the chance to win the £1000 prize.

Last year the winner, from 52 entries, was Philip Browne, whose book The Unfortunate Captain Pierce told the story of the wreck of the Halsewell. Since then, he has started on his next book, been interviewed many times and appeared on the cover of a magazine.

The prize, organised by the Dorchester Literary Festival, and sponsored by Hall & Woodhouse, is open to writers of fiction, history, biography, travel and other literary genres except poetry and children's books.

Entries must have been published, either by the author or a local publisher within the three years preceding the closure date for this year, which is the end of March 2019. Entries will be judged by professional writers, publishers, booksellers and a leading literary agent, and the winner will be announced in July.

Paul Atterbury, co-director of the Dorchester Literary Festival, says: "We launched the prize last year to encourage local writers, particularly those who had self-published their work. The response was exciting, and the 52 entries were wonderfully diverse. It was great to see that the literary traditions of the West Country were alive and well, and being developed in new directions. We hope this year will be even better, and can’t wait to see the entries, and find this year’s winner."

All details of the DLF Hall & Woodhouse Writing Prize 2019 and the £1000 award, including entry forms are on the Dorchester Literary Festival’s website, dorchesterliteraryfestival .com

Entries should be sent by post by March 31 to DLF Writing Prize 2019, 9 Kempston Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8XB.