Bluechrome To Find Stars Of The Future

One of the UK's most exciting publishers, bluechrome, today launched their search for the writing stars of the future, with a series of writing awards that will see a Novelist, a Short-story writer and a Poet, all being published alongside writers such as DM Thomas, James Kirkup, Robin Bell, Alexis Lykiard and Sarah Salway.

The winning writers will see their work professionally edited, published and marketed, and launched at an event in their own home town..

Announcing the bluechrome Writing Awards, editor-in-chief Anthony Delgrado said, "This is a massive undertaking for bluechrome, but a fantastic opportunity for writers of fiction or poetry to put their work in front of professional editors who are actively looking for new talent.

The bluechrome Writing Awards let us do this in a structured manner and it will give writers a very real chance of publication." He continues, "It is important that writers know that we hope to sign other entrants in addition to the winners. It is like the 'X-Factor' in a way, if we see writers with real talent, we are going to do our best to sign them - whether they win the competition or not."

The bluechrome Writing Awards are a first for a company that only launched in 2002, but that has already gained a reputation for doing things their own way. As Fiona Jordan, Managing Director of bluechrome says, "When we started bluechrome, we didn't want to walk the same old paths that everybody else has followed, as they have, after all, led us to a bland and boring McBook culture that has left readers with very little choice in the bookshops. We're not a big company, and we aren't owned by a multi-national conglomerate, but more importantly we aren't scared of the areas that bigger publishers won't look at, as they aren't as profitable as pumping out more of the same.

We're actively encouraging first-time authors; we want poets and short-story writers to enter, and we want to hear from novelists that have a real story to tell. It is the quality of the writing that should count, not the anything else. We work hard to make sure that our books are produced beautifully, and that the contents are a little different to the norm."

Delgrado agrees, "That is what these awards are intended to do, to find original voices and give them a chance to be heard without being dumbed-down or badly produced. This is a rare chance for writers, and we hope that as many of them as possible will take it."

Full details of the bluechrome Writer Awards are available from www.bluechrome.co.uk, or by sending a SAE to bluechrome Awards, PO Box 109, Portishead, Bristol. BS20 7ZJ.

About bluechrome
1. bluechrome publishing is an independent press dedicated to the production of Literary or Experimental Fiction and Poetry
2. bluechrome currently publish an average of 30-40 books per year
3. bluechrome was launched in the September of 2002 and are based in Portishead, Bristol.
4. Recent releases have included work from DM Thomas, Robin Bell, James Kirkup, Ian Caws, Elizabeth Barrett and Alexis Lykiard.
5. Noted critic Al Alvarez says of bluechrome “The bluechrome list is strong and fascinating and the books look beautiful. What more could any writer or reader want?”
6. Writing in the Writer’s Handbook 2007, Peter Finch says “Bluechrome…produces excellent books”.