The Westmorland Gazette Website www.thisisthelakedistrict.co.uk and Word Market online @ www.communigate.co.uk/lakes/wordmarket have teamed up to offer writers a chance to be published on the World Wide Web!

Theme: Elements earth, wood, fire, metal and water.

How do the elements affect us? You? How do we affect them? What power do they have? Let your imagination run away. Word Market will be running workshops in conjunction with the competition to inspire and help all writers. Take a chance!

Key Dates: Launch Word Market South Cumbria Writers' and Readers' Festival Ulverston Feb 4 - 14, 2004 Ulverston.

Deadline for entries: Noon, Monday, September 20, 2004.

Announcing the winners: at Word Party, Ulverston, October 21, 2004, Ulverston.

Prizes: being published online, have your own web site and more.

Judges: South Cumbria Poet Laureate and other key figures in the literary community.

Guidelines: Length: Short Story 500 words (max), Poem 30 lines (max).

Theme: Piece must include reference to at least one of the elements.

New material: All submissions must be original pieces by the author that have not been published and have not won any other competition.

Limit: One entry per person.

Age: All entrants must be over 18 years.

Documentation: All entries must be submitted in print with the registration form fully completed. All authors should keep a computer version of their material.

Entries should be posted to: The Web Editor, The Westmorland Gazette 1 Wainwright's Yard, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4DP or 25 Market Street, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7LR.

For information and announcements see the web sites.

Contacts: Kate Harrison, Web Editor, www.thisisthelakedistrict.co.uk digital.media@kendal.newsquest.co.uk Linda Graham, Project Coordinator, Word Market www.communigate.co.uk/lakes/wordmarket wordmarket@tiscali.co.uk.

For entry forms go to Artists in Residence section on this site (link below).