The Stanley Ratteray Memorial Christmas Short Story Contest is under way. The competition is open to all Bermuda residents, and stories may be fiction or non-fiction.

Prizes in the form of cash, Stationery Store gifts and gift certificates, and one-year home delivery subscriptions will be presented to winners on December 14 at The Royal Gazette offices on 2 Par-la-Ville Road in Hamilton.

The three categories are 13 and under, 18 and under, and Adult.

The winners in the youth sections will get prizes valued at $500, including $200 cash, with the runners-up receiving prizes valued at $250 ($100 cash) and third place $175 ($50 cash).

The breakdown is the same for the adults, with the exception of the home delivery subscription, which is valued at $300.

Stories should have a Bermuda focus and the judges will pay special attention to vivid Christmas themes and local references. Entries from students should be free of violence, as Christmas is a time of peace.

Entries must be in Microsoft Word or in the body of an e-mail. They should not exceed 1,500 words and must be e-mailed to shortstory@royalgazette.com.

Entries should be marked “Christmas Short Story Contest” and include the writer's name, age, address and contact numbers. The deadline for entries is December 7 at 5pm.

Teachers who submit entries on behalf of pupils should make sure the name and age of pupils, and contact numbers for their parents, are included as judges may contact the winners during the evening.

Contact details will be kept confidential. Pen names will not be accepted and poetry is not eligible.

A panel will decide the winning entries, which will be published in The Royal Gazette's Christmas Greetings supplement on December 18.

Royal Gazette Ltd staff cannot respond to telephone or e-mail inquiries once an entry is submitted. The Royal Gazette reserves the right to publish any or all of the stories submitted.