Bill Bryson supports Certys' Global Short Story Competition
 

Best-selling author Bill Bryson OBE has announced that he is supporting the monthly Global Short Story Competition run by Darlington-based company Certys Limited.

The company, run by Gary Shove, Keith Blundy, Mark Etherington and John Dean and based in High Northgate, Darlington, launched the competition at the end of last year to appeal to writers across the globe. Now Bill Bryson, the Chancellor of Durham University and authors of books including Notes from a Small Island, is supporting the competition. "From as far back as I can remember, I have been blissfully enchanted by the art of storytelling", says Bryson. "I once read that the skill of a great writer or storyteller is the ability to capture the reader and seduce them into accompanying you on your journey - a journey which so often is loaded with personal experiences, prejudices and imagination. This is a maxim that I have often thought of but at times found so difficult to fulfil. color=#191970 size=2> Showcase "The demise of our traditional communities and the compromises of modern family life mean that for many the telling or re-telling of stories is a forgotten craft as the demand for multimedia experiences and the mind-numbing repackaging of tired tales continues to rise. "It is wonderful therefore to hear that a competition has been developed to showcase new creative talent and, in turn, create a community of writers and story-makers across the globe. The Global Short Story Competition is founded on a love and enthusiasm for writing and short stories and it is a passion I share. I would like to express my admiration to everyone involved and wish you all luck   in the competition." So far the competition has attracted stories from Australia and New Zealand to France, Italy to South Korea, India and Singapore, the US and Canada to Romania and Finland, as well as from across the UK. Coup Administrator, the Darlington-based crime novelist John Dean, said: "We are delighted that Bill Bryson is supporting our competition. To have secured support from someone so passionate about writing, and about the north east of England, where we are based, is a real coup. "Already we are discovering exciting writers all across the world and the fact that Bill is supporting us is very exciting." The competition is also being supported by Darlington Arts Centre.   Note: Certys' entry on our website can be found at www.uksponsorship.com/lit1.htm More details on the competition can be obtained by visiting www.globalshortstories.net