Time is running out for the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and The National's short story competition

The National's short story competition is back, but the clock is ticking! Here's what you need to know to submit your entry.

All submitted content must be original and unpublished. iStockphoto

The rules

The short stories, which should be no less than 1,500 words and no more than 2,000, must either tackle the theme "Gone" or be titled The Puppet Master. Any genre is welcome, as long as those conditions are met.

All content submitted must be original and unpublished, written in English and targeting an adult audience. Authors must be 18 years old and above, living in the UAE and not related to anyone working at Abu Dhabi Media or at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

The deadline

The story must be emailed to [e-mail] via a readable text document by Tuesday, April 16, midnight at the latest – two weeks from today.

The judging

The first round of entries will be judged by an in-house panel of editors employed by The National. Five to 10 shortlisted works will be chosen and forwarded to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair judging panel, featuring the short story writers Abdelaziz Al Rachedi and Micheline Habib. They will pick the winning author and determine who is in second place, as well as who the three runner-ups will be – so, in total, five short stories will be recognised.

The prize

The first-prize author will win an iPad 3, while the second-place winner will receive an iPad mini. The third, fourth and fifth prizes will each be an iPod Nano.

The first place entry will be published in The National's Arts&Life section on April 29 – all top five entries will be posted online on The National's website – and on that same day, the winners will be invited to take part in a "sofa discussion" at the book fair, granting them an opportunity to meet the judges, hear about what goes into writing a short story and receive pointers from published authors.

The fair

This year’s line-up of internationally acclaimed and award-winning authors includes Ahlam Mosteghanemi, Kenizé Mourad, Ibrahim Eissa, as well as esteemed literary writers such as Nihad Sirees, Jim Al-Khalili, Rachid Boudjedra, Youssef Rakhais, Jacques Ferrandez, Jérôme Ferrari, Frank Klötgen, Andrey Kurkov and Amara Lakhous, among others.

The fair includes author panels and cultural debates catering to book lovers and those in the publishing sector. It will bring together hundreds of exhibitors from more than 50 countries showcasing in excess of 500,000 titles – offering a mix of cultural, intellectual and commercial books for visitors to enjoy in more than 30 different languages.

The details

Organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and Kitab, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair will run from April 24 to April 29 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. It will be open from 9am to 10pm, except for Friday when it will be open from 4pm to 10pm. Entrance is free. For more information, visit www.adbookfair.com.

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