After the success of the first two Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Competitions, Candy Jar Books is launching a third competition, again open to previously unpublished writers both in and outside the UK.

Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, says:

“In these trying times, we all need something to focus on, to keep us all sane. For a lot of people that’s writing. So it’s seems the perfect time to run another competition, give people something to aim for; a chance to write something for potential publication.”

Andy Frankham-Allen, editor of the Lethbridge-Stewart range, adds:

“This time we’re opting for a theme, something to combat the doom and gloom that threatens to overtake us all at the moment. And that theme is The Perfect Day. The challenge is, what can you do with such a theme? What kind of story does it suggest to you? How would such a story work for our characters (the Brigadier, Anne, Bill, Lucy, Hobo, etc)? And, like in the previous entries, everyone is free to use any original character from both the Lethbridge-Stewart and Lucy Wilson Mysteries ranges, plus our licenced characters. But, and I can’t stress this enough, not characters owned by the BBC or any other creator, without express permission (proof will be required).”

The winning entry will receive a Kindle Fire and Lethbridge-Stewart or The Lucy Wilson Mysteries publishing deal. All shortlisted entries will be published in The Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Collection Vol 3.

Shaun continues:

“Our two previous winners are Sean Alexander and Megan Fizell, and we look forward to publishing their new Lethbridge-Stewart stories very soon (subject to world events, of course).”

This is certainly an exciting opportunity for any writer or fan of the Lethbridge-Stewart world.

The entry fee is £5. Visit Candy Jar to register. Include your name, age, email, address, and telephone number.

Submissions can be entered from 29 March 2020 to 24 September 2020.

Here are the submission guidelines for the Lethbridge-Stewart South Wales Short Story Competition:

• Maximum of 3000 words.
• You must include your name in the document, along with the title.
• Word (or Word compatible) files only. We do not accept PDF submissions.
• This competition is open to anybody, whether you’re a fan of Doctor Who and Lethbridge-Stewart or not. Candy Jar is looking for stories that utilise any character from the Lethbridge-Stewart and The Lucy Wilson Mysteries range of books. It is not necessary to fit within the timeline; these stories are out of the canon of the series, so feel free to let your imagination run wild!
• A selection of free short stories will be sent to any applicant on request, should you need to see our characters in action.
• Our license is with the Haisman Literary Estate only, therefore you CAN use any character from the Doctor Who serials, The Abominable Snowmen, The Web of Fear, and The Dominators, or any original character found Candy Jar Books’ Lethbridge-Stewart and The Lucy Wilson Mysteries series (except characters from Doctor Who that appeared in the ranges under express permission).
• You can NOT use any other Doctor Who characters or monsters. (Unless you have proof of permission from the creator of the chosen monster/character.)
• You can NOT use UNIT or any associated characters.
• Any entries that feature a Doctor Who character not owned by the Haisman Literary Estate (and without express permission) will be instantly disqualified, with no refund.