A good excuse

That big block of text below gives me an excuse to break it up with lots of photos! In the hope it's warm and sunny when you read this, I've chosen cooling water and ferns.

Free entry writing competitions

Thanks to Alyson for this 100 word competition. First prize is $100, with smaller runner up prizes. As it's American, try not to put too much colour into it. ;-)

I found the following writing competition. I couldn't manage to find something to link to, so have copied the details below. No prize is mentioned, but there is a prize for another competition connected to this event (shared in last week's post) so there might be.

The Highclere Castle Book Festival Writing Prize 2026 To mark the inaugural year of the Writing Prize, budding writers are challenged to inhabit the mind and spirit of a famed author of the past. Whether inspired by the quiet intensity of a governess, the wit of a social observer, or the brooding sensibilities of a romantic poet, entrants must compose a diary entry as though they themselves were that writer, capturing not only their voice, but their time. 

Each submission, no more than 1,000 words, should unfold as a private reflection: intimate, immediate, and true to the era in which the chosen writer lived. Consider the concerns of the day, the constraints of society, and the inner life that shaped their work. What would they confide to the page, when no one else was listening? We are not looking for imitation alone, but imagination, writing that breathes with authenticity while revealing something new. Entries will be judged on originality, voice, historical sensitivity, and emotional depth. 

The winner will be announced at the Highclere Castle Book Festival in October. Take up your pen. Assume another life. And write as though history itself were watching. Entries to both competitions close on Friday 18th September and winners will be notified before the prize giving on Sunday 4th October at the Highclere Castle Book Festival. 

Prizes will be presented by Lady Carnarvon and Elizabeth Kirby from Hampshire Life.  Terms and conditions for entrants can be found at: www.highclerecastle/bookreadersawards.