Please note that the following information is also now at our new website, proversepublishing.com. Please bookmark or make a note of the address of this new website for future reference as the geocities site, where you are now, will be closed down on 26 October 2009.
THE PROVERSE PRIZE WAS LAUNCHED ON 29 FEBRUARY 2008 BY PROVERSE HONG KONG. THE LONG-LIST FOR THE FIRST COMPETITION WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON 20 AUGUST 2009.
Cash prize to the winner (may be shared among more than one winner): HKD10,000 (= approx GBP 800 / USD1,200 -- depends on current rate of exchange. HKD7.80 = approx. US$1.00)
Proverse Hong Kong will publish the winning work(s).
A supplementary prize or prizes may be awarded.
Short-listed entries will be passed to Proverse Hong Kong to consider for publication.
Long-listed entries may be referred to Proverse Hong Kong to consider for publication.
Judges' comments for all long-listed entries.
Selections from Proverse Prize entries may be included in a Proverse Prize Anthology published by Proverse Hong Kong.
Closing date: 1) Entry forms/ fees: 31 May annually; 2) Manuscripts: 30 June annually.
Objectives: To encourage excellence and / or excellence and usefulness in publishable written work in the English Language, which can, in varying degrees, "delight and instruct".
Background: A description of the interests of Proverse Hong Kong can now be found on the new Proverse Publishing website: http://www.proversepublishing.com "About Us".
A further understanding of our work and priorities can be gained from considering our publications and related activities and programmes.
The Terms and Conditions follow the "Submission Guidance and Instructions" which follow the Entry Form.
TO BE COMPLETED BY THE WRITER, WRITER'S WITNESS, TRANSLATOR (IF ANY) AND TRANSLATOR'S WITNESS (IF ANY)
(Confidential when completed)
(Please complete a separate entry form (in duplicate) for each manuscript entered. A maximum of three entries per author are welcome for each round of awards for The Proverse Prize. Please type or word-process. If you complete this in hand-writing, please use black ink or ball-point, and write very clearly, particularly your postal address, name and email address (if any).)
TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT now entered for The Proverse Prize:
____________________________________________________________________
GENRE OF MANUSCRIPT now entered for The Proverse Prize (e.g. Novel, Novella, Poetry Collection, Short Story Collection, Non-fiction (e.g. memoirs, essay collection, biography, autobiography, collection of letters, diary, journal, etc.):
____________________________________________________________________
Number of words in manuscript (approx.): ______________________________
I know about The Proverse Prize from (please explain): ________________________ _____________________________________________________________________
I decided to enter for The Proverse Prize because: ________________________ _____________________________________________________________________
BACKGROUND TO THE ENTERED WORK
The following questions on the background of the entered work are for the information of the Administrators. They will not have any impact on the Judging process.
This manuscript was/was not written specifically as an entry for The Proverse Prize. (Please circle or cancel as appropriate.)
This manuscript has/has not been in process for a long time and The Proverse Prize motivated me to write/ revise / complete / edit it. (Please circle or cancel as appropriate.)
This manuscript has/has not previously been unsuccessfully submitted as an entry for another prize. (Please circle or cancel as appropriate.)
If "yes" this manuscript has previously been unsuccessfully submitted as an entry for another prize, please give details below.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
This manuscript has/has not previously been unsuccessfully submitted to a publisher/publishers for publication. (Please circle or cancel as appropriate.)
If "yes" this manuscript has previously been unsuccessfully submitted to a publisher/publishers for publication, please give details below.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
AUTHOR'S WRITING BACKGROUND (IF ANY)
Please note that you do not need to be a previously-published writer to enter for The Proverse Prize.
I am/am not a previously published writer. (Please circle or cancel as appropriate.)
If, "Yes I am a previously published writer", please give details of your previous publications as an Appendix to this completed Entry Form.
AUTHOR'S WRITING COMPETITION ENTRY BACKGROUND (IF ANY)
Please note that you do not need to have entered for any previous writing competition to enter for The Proverse Prize.
I have/have not previously entered for a writing competition. (Please circle or cancel as appropriate.)
If, "Yes I have previously entered for a writing competition", please give details of your previous entries as an Appendix to this completed Entry Form.
AUTHOR'S INFORMATION
Family Name: ___________________________________________________________
Forenames: ___________________________________________________________
Style or Title (Mr / Mrs / Dr / Prof / Ms / other (Please supply): __________________
/
Date of Birth: _________________________________________ (NB you need to be at least eighteen years old on the date you sign your entry form for The Proverse Prize.)
Profession or occupation: __________________________________
If "retired", please state your previous profession or occupation:
____________________________________________________________
Nationality_________________________
Country of Residence ________________________
Are you a citizen of the British Commonwealth? ________________________________
(NB There is no nationality or residence restriction to enter for The Proverse Prize.)
Residential address: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Mailing address (if different from residential address):
________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Work address:______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Phone Number (w. International and country code): ____________________________
Fax Number (w. International and country code): ______________________________
Email address: __________________________________
I confirm that I am at least eighteen years old on the date of signing this entry form.
I confirm that this entry for The Proverse Prize is not currently being considered for publication by Proverse Hong Kong and I am not a full-time employee of Proverse Hong Kong.
I also confirm that I have not accepted any Honorary appointment in connection with the Proverse Prize, for a period which includes the current administration of the Proverse Prize.
I confirm that, if my work is selected for the long list, I am happy for my name and the title of my work to be posted on the Proverse Hong Kong / Proverse Publishing website at any time that the Administrators of The Proverse Prize consider appropriate. Yes/No (Please cancel/ circle as appropriate. If you do not circle or cancel to indicate "Yes" or "No", we will assume you have said "Yes".)
If my work is selected for the short list, I am happy for my name and the title of my work to be posted on the Proverse Hong Kong / Proverse Publishing website at any time that the Administrators of The Proverse Prize consider appropriate. Yes/No (Please cancel/ circle as appropriate. If you do not circle or cancel to indicate "Yes" or "No", we will assume you have said "Yes".)
I understand that I may not enter for The Proverse Prize a manuscript that is currently under consideration by Proverse Hong Kong, which has previously been rejected by Proverse Hong Kong, or which has been accepted for publication by Proverse Hong Kong but not yet published, and I also understand that, if I do so, my entry for the Proverse Prize will become ineligible and that my Entry Fee will not be returned.
I understand that I may submit a publishing proposal for the same manuscript as that entered for the Proverse Prize to Proverse Hong Kong after entering for The Proverse Prize and before the closing date for receipt of manuscript entries for The Proverse Prize, and I also understand that, if I do so, my entry for the Proverse Prize will become ineligible and that my Entry Fee will not be returned. I promise that if I do submit a publishing proposal for the same manuscript as that entered for the Proverse Prize to Proverse Hong Kong after entering the Work to which this Entry refers for The Proverse Prize and before the closing date for receipt of manuscripts entered for The Proverse Prize, I will advise Proverse Hong Kong that I have made such an entry when I make any such Publishing Proposal. I will also write to The Administrators, The Proverse Prize, informing them of this and giving the Title of the Manuscript entered for The Proverse Prize, as given above.
ABOUT THE WORK SUBMITTED
I confirm that I have never entered the work to which this application refers (whether now edited or rewritten in any way whatsoever) for consideration for The Proverse Prize
Is the Manuscript a translation from an unpublished original work written by you? Yes/No. ( Please cancel what does not apply.)
If, "Yes, it is a translation from an unpublished original work written by you",
If this is a translated work, please ensure that your Translator reads this Entry Form and completes and signs the section at the end. Proverse Hong Kong and each of the Administrators of The Proverse Prize, severally and respectively, explicitly disclaim any and all responsibility to discuss and make arrangements and agreements with the Translator and pass to you as the Author all responsibility to agree and formalize the copyright and any and all other relevant agreements between yourself and your Translator, in such a way that you are legally in a position to submit this work as an entry for The Proverse Prize and to sign the following declaration. Proverse Hong Kong and each of the Administrators of The Proverse Prize, severally and respectively, take no responsibility for any claims that may be made against them by the Translator in case you as Author have not formalised such an agreement with the Translator.
I confirm that I own the copyright in the submitted work written by myself.
ORI confirm that the submitted work is the unpublished work of a close family member / friend. (Please circle or cancel as appropriate.) I own the copyright in the submitted work as the inheritor of his/her literary estate OR as the inheritor of part of that part of his/her literary estate which inludes this work. (Please circle or cancel as appropriate.)
I confirm that the submitted work is not currently under consideration for publication.
I confirm that I will not submit the same work or any version or abridgement / expansion of this work for publication elsewhere as long as this work is under consideration for The Proverse Prize.
Should the submitted work be accepted for publication or published before the award of The Proverse Prize, I understand that I am obliged immediately to inform the Administrators of the Proverse Prize and I also understand that my submitted work will be disqualified and that I will not receive reimbursement of the entry fee.
I confirm that the Work entered for The Proverse Prize has not previously won any other Prize.
I promise that, if the Work, now entered for The Proverse Prize, is subsequently submitted for any other Prize and/or wins any other Prize before the date for the announcement of The Proverse Prize, I will advise The Proverse Prize Administrators as soon as possible. I will also (a) clarify whether the terms of entry and/or acceptance of any such other Prize oblige me to withdraw from The Proverse Prize and (b) state clearly that I withdraw from The Proverse Prize if I do so withdraw. I understand that in this case, the Entry Fee will not be refunded. In any communication on this topic, I will identify my work by giving the name of the Manuscript that I have previously submitted for The Proverse Prize.
FURTHER INFORMATION
I agree that, if I win or am one of the winners of The Proverse Prize, or any supplementary prize that may be awarded in any year, I will immediately supply the Administrators of The Proverse Prize with personal identity documentation (including for my Translator, if my submitted work is a translation into the English Language of a work written by me), which, in the opinion of the Administrators of The Proverse Prize is adequate for the administration of The Proverse Prize. I understand that, to speed-up the award process after a decision is made, I may be requested to supply the above-named documentation if I am short-listed for The Proverse Prize.
EDITING OF WINNING WORK/S
I understand that, should my submission win or be one of the winners of The Proverse Prize, or of any supplementary prize that may be awarded in any year, it would be normal for me to be contacted by Proverse Hong Kong in connection with finalizing my work for publication.
PRESENTATION CEREMONY
If I am the winner of the whole or part of The Proverse Prize, I and my Translator (if any) will do my/our best to make arrangements to attend a presentation ceremony in Hong Kong and I understand that the Administrators of The Proverse Prize make no offer (a) to make these arrangements for me/my Translator (if any) or (b) to finance any and/or all expenses incurred in attending the presentation ceremony in Hong Kong. I understand that these are my responsibility alone.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I promise that, if I win or am one of the winners of The Proverse Prize or any supplementary prize awarded to my entry for The Proverse Prize in any year, I will include this information, specifying my name, the title of the winning book and the year of the winning entry, in my future publications and publicity materials, in the following form, or similar: "Winner of The Proverse Prize [year] for [title]", "Joint Winner of The Proverse Prize [year] for [title]", "Winner of [name of supplementary prize] [year] for [title]".
I promise that, if I am long-listed or short-listed for The Proverse Prize, I will include this information, specifying my name, the title of the work concerned and the year of the entry, in my future publications and publicity materials, in the following form, or similar: "Long-listed for The Proverse Prize [year] for [title]", "Short-listed for The Proverse Prize [year] for [title]".
ENTRY FEE
ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
By signing this entry form I agree to The Terms and Conditions of The Proverse Prize, specifically the version issued and dated immediately before the opening date for receiving Entry Forms and Entry Fees in the year in which I make this application.
Author's Signature: _______________________________
Author's Name: _________________________________________
Date_____________________
Hong Kong ID card no. (if any) / Passport no. (if any) (Please state the country whose passport this is.) ___________________________________________
WITNESS'S STATEMENT
I have known the entrant for __________________ years. The context in which I know the entrant is _________________________________________________________
Witness's Signature: ___________________________________
Witness's Name: ______________________________________
Date: ______________________________
IF THE ENTERED WORK IS A TRANSLATED WORK PLEASE CONTINUE BELOW
TRANSLATOR'S INFORMATION
(Only applicable if the work submitted with this entry form is a work which has been translated into the English language.
PLEASE STRIKE OUT THIS COMPLETE SECTION IF THIS IS NOT A WORK THAT HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.)
Family Name:__________________________________
Forenames: ________________________________________________
Style or Title: ________________
Date of Birth: _______________________________
Profession or occupation: __________________________________
Nationality_________________________
Country of Residence _______________________________
Are you a citizen of the British Commonwealth? ________________________________
(NB There is no nationality or residence restriction.)
I confirm that this entry for The Proverse Prize is not currently being considered for publication by Proverse Hong Kong and I am not a full-time employee of Proverse Hong Kong.
Residential address:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Mailing address (if different from residential address):
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Work address:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
By signing this entry form I agree to The Terms and Conditions of The Proverse Prize, specifically the version issued and dated immediately before the opening date for entries in the year in which this entry is made.
Signed _____________________________________________
Name ______________________________________________
Date ________________________
WITNESS'S STATEMENT
I have known the person named above as the Translator of the entered work for __________________ years.
The context in which I know the Translator is _________________________________________________________
Witness's Signature: _________________________________
Witness's Name: _____________________________________
Date: ____________________________
For EACH work entered, please submit:
The above may be sent either to an address in the United Kingdom (UK) or a Hong Kong (HK) address; a UK address if you are paying in pounds sterling (GBP); a HK address if you are paying in Hong Kong dollars (HKD).
UK ADDRESS
The Proverse Prize,
C/o Miss Christine Penney,
28 West Street,
Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6DN,
UNITED KINGDOM.
HONG KONG ADDRESS
Attn: The Proverse Prize,
Proverse Hong Kong,
P.O. Box 259,
Tung Chung Post Office,
Tung Chung,
Lantau Island, NT,
Hong Kong, SAR.
ENTRY FEE FOR EACH SUBMISSION: HKD200 or GBP30. (NB These sums are not intended to be exchange equivalents of each other, but reflect different administrative costs.)
If you are submitting more than one entry, you may, if you wish, submit all your entry forms and entry fees / evidence of payment of entry fees at one time. But please make sure that you indicate very clearly and unambiguously the titles of all your works submitted.
MANUSCRIPTS ONLY (two hard copies and two copies of the identical soft file, one on each of two CDs) , with the same title as on the related entry form previously submitted, should be sent, to arrive during the period, 1 May to 30 June of the year of entry, at the following address:
'The Hotel Coma,
"Attention The Proverse Literary Prize",
Ordino,
Principat d'Andorra,
AD 300,
via France.'
MODE OF SUBMISSION OF YOUR ENTRY FEE
Your entry fee may be submitted either through Hong Kong or through the United Kingdom.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Since writers and translators (if any) of short-listed Manuscripts will be asked to supply promotional materials after the short-list is decided, please make sure that the Administrators of the Proverse Prize have correct information as to how to contact you during the judging period. (This is usually within the period July to August. Confirmed dates will be on the website.)
Date of 1) Entry Form and 2) Submission Guidance / Instructions, above: 5 August 2009
Terminology
In the following "Terms and Conditions", "Manuscript" means, "Work entered for The Proverse Prize in the form specified."
Dates of the announcements of the long-list, short-list and winner/s of the Proverse Prize and any supplementary prize(s) in any year. Please see "Key Dates" below.
The prize to be awarded will be a cash prize of HKD10,000. Depending on the quality of the work submitted, as recommended by the judges, the prize may be shared or withheld.
A supplementary prize or prizes may also be awarded.
Decision: The decision of the Judges as to the winner(s) of The Proverse Prize and the amount of the cash prize for any round of the competition is final. The decision of the judges as to the non-award of the Prize during any round of the competition is also final. No correspondence can be entered into about the decisions of the judges.
The Judges will recommend to Proverse Hong Kong that the winning entry or entries in any year (if any) and any supplementary prize-winning entries in any year (if any) should be published or not published by Proverse Hong Kong, according to the standard of the work in each year.
Publication of winning entry or entries Proverse Hong Kong reserves the right to publish the winning entry or entries in the way that, in the professional judgement of Proverse Hong Kong, seems best for the success and reception of the particular work or works in question. Proverse Hong Kong shall have the entire control of the publication. If in print, the title, paper, printing, binding, cover and/or jacket and any embellishments, the manner and extent of advertisement, the number and distribution of free copies for the Press or otherwise, and the price and terms of sale shall be at the sole discretion of Proverse Hong Kong. If in digital form, the title, format, platform, the manner and extent of advertisement, the price and terms of sale shall be at the sole discretion of Proverse Hong Kong.
Proverse Hong Kong will liaise with the author to discuss any editing queries.
Publication of a supplementary prize-winning entry or entries (if any) Proverse Hong Kong reserves the right to publish a supplementary prize-winning entry or entries (if any) in the way that, in the professional judgement of Proverse Hong Kong, seems best for the success and reception of the particular work or works in question. Proverse Hong Kong shall have the entire control of the publication. If in print, the title, paper, printing, binding, cover and/or jacket and any embellishments, the manner and extent of advertisement, the number and distribution of free copies for the Press or otherwise, and the price and terms of sale shall be at the sole discretion of Proverse Hong Kong. If in digital form, the title, format, platform, the manner and extent of advertisement, the price and terms of sale shall be at the sole discretion of Proverse Hong Kong.
Proverse Hong Kong will liaise with the author to discuss any editing queries.
Short-listed entries will be passed to Proverse Hong Kong to consider for publication, according to the standard of the work in each year.
Long-listed entries may be referred to Proverse Hong Kong to consider for publication, according to the standard of the work in each year.
Eligibility of the Writer: Writers are eligible who are at least eighteen years old on the date when they sign their entry or entries to The Proverse Prize. There is no nationality or residence restriction. No Writer who has accepted any Honorary appointment in connection with the Proverse Prize, for a period which includes the current administration of the Proverse Prize, is eligible.
Eligibility of the Work: Each submitted work must be an unpublished publishable work of non-fiction, fiction or poetry, the original work of the entrant, and submitted in the English language. School textbooks and plays may not be submitted and are ineligible. Translations into English of a writer's own work (whether the translation is by the writer him or herself or by another person) are eligible and should be submitted by the author or by the writer's translator acting for and on behalf of the writer. Mixed-genre submissions (e.g. poetry and essays) by a single author are not ruled out. Special cases, for example, previously unpublished work by one writer, submitted by the owner of the relevant literary estate, will also not be ruled out. (If the work you are submitting is such a special case, please explain the situation carefully, on a separate sheet.) No work currently under consideration by Proverse Hong Kong or already accepted for publication by Proverse Hong Kong, whether a) at the time of submission or b) after submission of the work and before the closing date for the receipt of manuscripts for The Proverse Prize, is eligible. If a work is a translated work, the work will be ineligible if a Translator is or has been during the previous three years a full-time employee of Proverse Hong Kong. The work should be identified by its title only. The author's name or any other means of identifying the author should not appear anywhere on the entered work. An optional additional cover page (to be removed before judging begins) with the name of the writer as well as the name of the entered work may be included with the entered work. If this is a translated work, the translator's name or any other means of identifying the translator should not appear anywhere on the entered work. An optional additional cover page (to be removed before judging begins) with the name of the translator and writer as well as the name of the entered work may be included with the entered work.
Other Prizes No Work which has previously won any other Prize is eligible for The Proverse Prize. If a Work, which has been entered for The Proverse Prize, is subsequently submitted for any other Prize and/or wins and accepts any other Prize, before the closing date for receipt of manuscripts entered for The Proverse Prize, the Writer should advise The Proverse Prize Administrators immediately. The Writer should also (a) clarify whether the terms of entry and/or acceptance of any such other Prize oblige him/her to withdraw from The Proverse Prize and (b) state clearly that he/she withdraws from The Proverse Prize if he/she does so withdraw. The Entry Fee will not be refunded. The Writer should identify his/her work by giving the name of the Manuscript that he/she has previously submitted for The Proverse Prize.
Resubmission of entries Work that has been previously submitted as an entry for The Proverse Prize may not be resubmitted during any subsequent round of the competition, even if the Work has been revised and/or rewritten. If it is found that an entry has been submitted previously, the entry will be disqualified and the Entry Fee will not be returned.
Translated work: If the work entered is a translation from a language other than English, both the original and the translation should be previously unpublished.
Submission of a translated work: If the Writer submits a translation of his or her own work, he or she should ensure that the Translator agrees to the submission of the work and obtain the Translator's signature on the Entry Form. Contact details of both Translator and Writer should be included in the entry documents (not on the submitted work itself).
Treatment of the award if it is a translated work that is recommended to receive or share the Proverse Prize: The prize or share of the prize awarded to a translated work will be shared equally between the Writer and the Translator and conveyed to each separately by the Administrators of The Proverse Prize.
A Manuscript will normally be considered only if it has no means of identifying the author (or the translator if this is a translated work) apart from an optional removable cover page on the hard copies only and if it has been safely received at the place designated by the Administrators of The Proverse Prize no earlier than the first date for the receipt of Manuscripts and no later than the final date for the receipt of Manuscripts and also after both a related Entry Form and Entry Fee for each entered Manuscript have been received by the due date(s) at one of the addresses specified for receiving Entry Forms and Entry Fees. (Please note that the period and deadline for receiving Entry Forms and Entry Fees is different from the period and deadline for receiving the related Manuscripts.) The Administrators of The Proverse Prize take no responsibility for the safe arrival or otherwise of Entry Forms, Entry Fees or Manuscripts. Writers should take all measures that they personally consider necessary to secure the safe arrival of their Entry Form(s), Entry Fee(s) and Manuscript(s).
Entry fee for each submission: EITHER HKD200 OR GBP30. (Please note that these sums are not intended to be exchange equivalents of each other, but reflect varying administrative costs.)
If the Entry Fee / bank fee payable (if any) is exceeded, the excess will be deemed a donation towards the administrative costs of The Proverse Prize and will not be refunded.
If a Writer, Translator or Manuscript is disqualified, the Entry Fee will not be returned.
If an Entry Form and Entry Fee is correctly received by the relevant deadline but no related Manuscript is correctly received by the relevant deadline, the Entry Fee will not be returned.
Multiple entries: Writers are free to submit up to three entries per deadline. (The Entry Fee is payable for each entry.)
Acknowledgement of receipt of Entry Forms and related Entry Fees / proof of payment of Entry Fees (as appropriate) will be made, by email message, as soon after the closing date for receipt of Entry Forms and related Entry Fees / proof of payment of Entry Fees (as appropriate) as possible. Please supply your email address with each Entry Form. If you do not supply a legible email address, we regret that we cannot acknowledge your Entry.
The Administrators of The Proverse Prize are permitted to advise any Entrant if any part of his/her Entry is incomplete or has not been received, so that the Entrant may have a chance to remedy the deficiency. However, the Administrators make no undertaking to give this advice. The responsibility for proper entry to The Proverse Prize is the responsibility of each Entrant alone.
Please note that your Entry Forms, containing your name and email address and other identifying information, will be processed by the Administrators of The Proverse Prize.
Confidentiality of entrants: No public announcement will be made of the names of entrants.
Long list and Short list announcements: At a time considered appropriate by the Administrators of The Proverse Prize, the names of winners and the details of the short list and long list may be posted on the Proverse Hong Kong and/or Proverse Publishing website and may also appear in the media. If your entry is selected for the long list or the short list and you do not wish your details to be posted in this way, you may indicate this on your entry form.
No communication between long-listed and/or short-listed entrants and Proverse Hong Kong / the administrators and judges of The Proverse Prize will be entertained, if initiated by the entrant(s). Any such communication initiated by the entrant(s) may result in the disqualification of the entrant(s) concerned.
The judges of The Proverse Prize may issue comments on short-listed and/or long-listed works as well as on the winning entry or entries, both for the personal use of entrants and for the benefit of the public. The comments will be positive in nature, highlighting some of what judges liked in each work. If entrants (except winning entrants) request that any such comments should not be published, the comments will not be published.
Judging period: Please see "Key Dates" below.
Announcement of the Result: All those entrants, including winner(s), short-listed and long-listed entrants who have supplied a legible email address will be advised of their result by email message. If you have received no email message, please consult the Proverse Hong Kong website for the result.
http://www.proversepublishing.com
Ongoing news about The Proverse Prize
We will add the email address of those entrants who supply a legible email address to the distribution list for the E-Newsletter that is sent out about once a month by Proverse Hong Kong (Proverse Publishing), who administer The Proverse Prize. The E-Newsletter will include updated information about The Proverse Prize from time to time. News will also be posted on the new Proverse Publishing website:
If you do not want your email address to be added to the E-Newsletter distribution list, please let us know. Please also let us know at any time if you wish your email address to be removed from the E-Newsletter distribution list.
Publicity for the winning Writer(s):
The winning Writer(s) will be expected to provide a detailed brief biography in Word for Windows format (Times New Roman, 12 point font) in the English Language for publicity purposes. (This should be no fewer than 500 words and no more than 1,000 words.) Winning Writer(s) will also be expected to provide one or more recent photographs, also for publicity purposes. (At least one photograph should be in colour, if possible.) Glossy prints (not matt or semi-matt) are acceptable. So are high-density soft files in jpg format on a floppy disk or CD. Please label the biographical files as follows:
[YourSurname_YourFirstname_]500.doc
[YourSurname_YourFirstname_]1000.doc
Please label the photograph as follows:
[YourSurname_YourFirstname].jpg]
To ensure that necessary publicity materials are on hand at the time when the winner(s) are due to be announced, entrants may be requested to send the materials described above if and when they are placed on the Short list.
Return of publicity materials submitted: Proverse Hong Kong regrets that, because of administrative constraints and the international nature of this competition, it will not be possible to return publicity materials supplied. Please make sure you keep a copy of all such materials submitted to us.
Publicity for the Translator(s) (if any) of a winning entry / entries:
The winning Writer(s) will be expected to provide a detailed brief biography of the Translator in the English Language for publicity purposes. (This should be no fewer than 500 words and no more than 1,000 words.) Winning Writer(s) will also be expected to provide one or more recent photographs of their Translator(s), also for publicity purposes. (At least one photograph should be in colour, if possible.) Glossy prints (not matt or semi-matt) are acceptable. So are high-density soft files on a floppy disk or CD. Please label the biographical files as follows:
[YourSurname_YourFirstname_]500.doc
[YourSurname_YourFirstname_]1000.doc
Please label the photograph as follows:
[YourSurname_YourFirstname].jpg]
To ensure that necessary publicity materials are on hand at the time when the winner(s) are due to be announced, entrants may be requested to send the materials described above if and when they are placed on the Short list.
Return of publicity materials submitted: Proverse Hong Kong regrets that, because of administrative constraints and the international nature of this competition, it will not be possible to return publicity materials supplied. Please make sure you keep a copy of all such materials submitted to us.
Extent of the Manuscript: within the range of what is usual for the genre of the work submitted. However, the following ranges are advisable: novel, short-story collection, non-fiction (e.g. memoir, essay collection, biography, autobiography, diary, journal, letters, etc.) -- 80,000 to 110,000 words; novella -- 35,000 to 50.000 words; poetry collection -- 8,000 to 30,000 words.
Copyright: A Writer submitting a Manuscript must warrant that he/she is the holder of the copyright of the submitted work/translation of a work and shall hold harmless and defend any person or persons concerned with the administration of the prize, including the administrators of the Prize and judges, any sponsor(s) and the administrator(s) of any sponsor(s), from liability or costs resulting from action or claims of infringement or unauthorised use(s) of the submitted work.
Identification document: We reserve the right to request personal identity documentation from all short-listed entrants and their translators (if any).
Decisions: All decisions regarding the eligibility of submitted work and regarding the eligibility of Writers (and Translators, if any) of submitted work are entirely at the sole discretion of the judges and administrators of The Proverse Prize.
Judges: The judges will be persons who, in the opinion of Proverse Hong Kong, are qualified for the task and they will be appointed by Proverse Hong Kong. Each judge will be invited to serve for a renewable term of three years in the first instance. The identity of the judges will be kept confidential.
Privacy: All information and/or data collected will be used to facilitate the processing of works submitted for The Proverse Prize. All data collected will be retained and/or used in accordance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance of the Laws of Hong Kong.
Publication of winning Entry / Entries and of any entry/entries awarded a supplementary prize: By entering the competition, all entrants agree to the publication by Proverse Hong Kong of the submitted work. Entrants also agree that they will not offer the submitted work for publication elsewhere. After the announcement of the winning entry or entries and of any entry/entries awarded a supplementary prize is made, entrants of non-winning work who are also not awarded any supplementary prize are no longer bound by this agreement and are free to offer their entered work for publication to whomever they choose (including to Proverse Hong Kong).
All entrants agree that they will not enter the same work as they enter for The Proverse Prize for any other prize if the award of that prize to the work will necessitate the refusal of The Proverse Prize, should it be awarded to the submitted work.
By virtue of submitting an entry for The Proverse Prize, entrants assign to Proverse Hong Kong the exclusive right to publish the entered Work throughout the World in the English language and all other languages in printed volume (book) form, in digital, electronic, audio or any other form including in any not yet invented, and/or any abridgement of the Work or any substantial part of the Work in serial and printed volume (book) form, in case but only in case of winning or sharing the prize or being awarded a supplementary prize.
By virtue of submitting an entry for The Proverse Prize, entrants also assign to Proverse Hong Kong the right to publish in any language an extract from the work in any form (printed, digital, electronic, audio or any other form including in any not yet invented), for the purpose of marketing and promoting the book in case but only in case of winning or sharing the prize or being awarded a supplementary prize.
By virtue of submitting an entry for The Proverse Prize, entrants warrant that the Work contains nothing obscene, indecent, libelous or defamatory, that it is in no way whatever a violation or infringement of a duty of confidence, or duty to respect privacy, or any other right of any person or party whatsoever,
A Writer who has won or shared The Proverse Prize or been awarded a supplementary prize will inform the Publishers if, at any time, s/he receives an enquiry for the exploitation of the winning work and the Publishers will do their best to respond to this enquiry in a timely manner.
Using Hong Kong dollars as the base currency for calculations, Proverse Hong Kong will pay a Writer who is awarded the whole or part of the The Proverse Prize or been awarded a supplementary prize and whose book is published by Proverse Hong Kong royalties on net receipts from sales of the printed book by their distributor(s), beginning at 10% for the first 1 to 5,000 copies and rising to 15% for sales over 5,000 copies. Proverse Hong Kong will pay royalties of 50% on their net receipts from serial rights and a minimum of 5% and a maximum of 20% on their net receipts from all other sources.
Based on the most current information supplied by their distributor(s), the Publishers shall make up accounts at 31 December annually and shall render such accounts and pay all monies due to the Writer by the succeeding 1 April respectively, beginning a minimum of twelve months after publication.
A statement will be provided to the Writer only when sales during each relevant accounting period exceed HK$1,000.
The assignments by the Writer listed above will lapse if, for any reason, Proverse Hong Kong does not publish the winning entry or entries as a printed book and/or in serial form and/or in digital form and/or in electronic form and/or in any other form in the English language within a period of five years after the announcement of the winning entry or entries.
PLEASE NOTE that Proverse Hong Kong would normally seek to publish a winning entry/entries if at all possible, either before or to coincide with the prize award ceremony, or within eighteen months of announcing the result.
Proverse Hong Kong will give each winner whose work is published by Proverse Hong Kong ten copies of any first publication in printed book form, six to be used to promote the book in his/her own country by submitting a copy to appropriate literary magazines and/or newspapers or public library systems.
The Author will be requested to supply the Publishers with a list of appropriate names/addresses where the promotional copies of the book could be sent.
If the winner attends the award ceremony and if the book is already published by that time, the copies will be handed over to the winner during the ceremony. Otherwise, one copy will be sent by airmail if appropriate and nine copies will be sent by surface or local postage, either directly to the Author or (in the case of the six promotional copies) to the names and/or addresses suggested by the Author, all packing and postage to be paid by the Publishers.
The Publishers will in due course provide a review slip in a soft file sent as an email attachment, to be used by the Author to accompany any copies of the book which the Author may send out to promote the book.
The winner will have the right to purchase in advance of any such publication further copies in printed book form at a Writer's discount.
Publication (all Entries) Proverse Hong Kong reserves the right to publish in the English Language and/or in any other language throughout the world, whether in printed form, by print-on-demand, as an ebook, by networking in libraries or elsewhere, or in any form including any not yet invented, an anthology / anthologies of selected extracts chosen from among the entered works. By entering for The Proverse Prize, entrants agree that an extract or extracts from their entered work may be included in any such anthology and confirm that they have the right to make this agreement. They also agree that they will not enter into any later agreement which is in conflict with this agreement. Entrants will retain their copyright in the selections from their work included in any such anthology / anthologies of selected extracts and Proverse Hong Kong will have copyright in the Anthology itself. If a legible email address had been provided, entrants will be advised by email at appropriate times of any part of their entered work to be included in the anthology and of the publication of the Anthology.
Return of work submitted: Proverse Hong Kong regrets that, because of administrative constraints and because of the international nature of this competition, it will not be possible to return hard copies/CDs of Manuscripts submitted. Please make sure you keep a copy of all Manuscripts submitted to us.
Correspondence: It is regretted that no correspondence can be entered into in relation to specific entries. If for any reason you need to communicate with the Administrators in general terms about entering for The Proverse Prize, please email the Administrators at the following email address: E-mail: Proverse Publishing.
Taxation: Writers are expected to conform to the rules of the appropriate tax regime and to take the initiative themselves to report their prize if necessary. The administrators of The Proverse Prize reserve the right to report details of the prize and prize-winner(s) to the appropriate tax Authority / Authorities, if they deem it necessary.
Media enquiries: Please see the Proverse website for updated information from time to time: For the older Proverse Hong Kong homepage, please click on the following link: Proverse Hong Kong. For the newer homepage, please click on the following link: Proverse Publishing. Please check both websites for the time being.
Presentation of the Manuscript (Hard copies and soft files on CDs): General Points The Writer's name and the name of any Translator as well as any other form of personal identification should be carefully omitted from the Manuscript to be evaluated. Any Manuscript with the Writer's and/or Translator's name on it may not be processed and may be disqualified.
PROSE: The Manuscript should be word-processed in Word format in Times New Roman, 12 point font size and double-spaced. Please do NOT leave a line space between paragraphs, but indent the first line of each paragraph 0.4 of an inch. A footer should contain the page number and the title of the Manuscript (BUT NOT the Writer's name or the Translator's name (if any)). The page should be set at A4 size, with all margins one inch. Please do not add fancy formatting. Please submit, at the same time, a) two copies of a print-out (preferably single-sided but may be double-sided to save postage costs, regular size; not reduced), and b) two CDs, each containing the same soft file as that in each of the two print-outs, each CD to be labeled with the name of the Manuscript only (NOT the name of the writer or the translator (if any)). Please check that you have successfully copied the file to each of the two CDs.
POETRY: The Manuscript should be word-processed in Word format in Times New Roman, 12 point font size and single-spaced. Please leave a line space between verses (if any). A footer should contain the page number and the title of the Manuscript (BUT NOT the Writer's name or the Translator's name (if any)). The page should be set at A4 size, with all margins one inch. Please do not add fancy formatting. Please submit, at the same time, a) two copies of a print-out (preferably single-sided but may be double-sided to save postage costs, regular size; not reduced), and b) two CDs, each containing the same soft file as that in each of the two print-outs, each CD to be labeled with the name of the Manuscript only (NOT the name of the writer or the translator (if any)). Please check that you have successfully copied the file to each of the two CDs.
Since the judges will consider whether or not to recommend publication of the best submissions(s) to Proverse Hong Kong, excellent presentation of the Manuscript (including attention to basics such as punctuation, spelling and grammar) will be a factor that the judges will take into consideration when deciding the winning entry/ies (if any). (This does not mean that idiosyncratic usages for literary effect will be penalized.)
Presentation of the Manuscript: Specific Points
If, in addition to more common usages, italics are used to indicate a shift in the narrative voice or in narrative time, please supply a note stating the convention(s) you are using.
Editor's services
Before submitting their work, Writers may choose, if they wish, to obtain the services of an Editor, and should acknowledge this help and the nature and extent of this help in the Entry Form.
Address to which entered Manuscripts should be sent: "The Hotel Coma, "Attention The Proverse Literary Prize", Ordino, Principat d'Andorra, AD 300, via France". (Please note that this is a different address from that to which the completed Entry Forms and fees should be sent. For details, please see the Entry Form itself.)
THE PROVERSE PRIZE: KEY ANNUAL DATES (UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)
Receipt of Entry Fees/ Entry Forms: 14 April to 31 MayRevisions of these Terms and Conditions: The administrators of The Proverse Prize reserve the right to revise and/or amend these Terms and Conditions and Entry Form in the light of ongoing experience or for any other reason at any time, from time to time, without advance notice. In general, however, in the absence of unexpected circumstances, no revision will be made after the opening date for receipt of Entry Forms and fees in relation to each immediately forthcoming competition for The Proverse Prize.
By submitting an entry for The Proverse Prize, entrants accept the above Terms and Conditions of The Proverse Prize as well as any additional rules and requirements which may be contained in The Entry Form and/or Submission Guidance and Instructions.
Date of the Terms and Conditions above: 5 August 2009
For the older Proverse Hong Kong homepage, which will cease to be available when geocities closes down its service on 26 October 2009, please click on the following link: www.geocities.com/proversehk. For the newer homepage, please click on the following link: proversepublishing.com.