INTERNATIONAL RADIO PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

Do you live outside the UK? Would you like to win £2,500, a trip to London and have your play broadcast all over the world?

BBC World Service and the British Council are once again joining forces to launch their International Radio Playwriting Competition 2011.

Applicants are invited to write a radio play of approximately 60 minutes in length on a subject of their choice. The play must be the original, unpublished work of the person or persons submitting it. The competition is open to any writer who is not normally a resident of the United Kingdom. The play must be written in English but can be translated by a third party (BBC is not able to offer any assistance with translation costs). Translated work must be identified as such, and the translator must be credited. The complete set of rules are given on the application form.

There are two main prizes given: to the best play written in English as a first language and to the best play written in English as a second language. The two prize winners will each receive £2,500 sterling and a trip to London to see their plays being recorded and to attend a prize-giving evening.

There are also additional prizes of digital or short wave radios being given for the best radio play to be written from each of the following geographical areas: The Americas; Europe; Africa and the Middle East; South Asia; Russia and the Caucasus; Asia and Pacific. All writers whose plays reach the judges' final shortlist will receive BBC goodie bags. Closing date for applications will be March 31, 2011.

Application forms will be available to download from: www.bbcworldservice.com/radioplay or www.britishcouncil.org/arts

Submissions and application forms can be emailed to radioplay@bbc.co.uk

Applicants who do not wish to e-mail their play also have the opportunity to hand in a hard copy of their play and application form at the British Council offices in Johannesburg or Cape Town. Johannesburg address: British Council, Ground Floor, Forum 1, Braampaark, 33 Hoofd Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2001. Cape Town address: British Council, 3rd floor, Associated Magazines House, 21 St John's Road, Cape Town 8000

To view advice from last year's winners and interviews with established radio playwrights and actors and interesting resources go to www.bbcworldservice.com/radioplay