Terms and conditions:

Terms and conditions for the Observer Anthony Burgess Prize for Arts Journalism

If you have questions about any aspect of the prize, please contact the Anthony Burgess Foundation by email on events@anthonyburgess.org or by telephone on +44 (0)161 235 0776.

By entering the Competition, you are accepting the following terms and conditions. Entries which do not follow these rules will be disqualified without refund.

1. The Competition is open to people above the age of 18. No entries will be considered from people under the age of 18, or from employees of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation or the Observer or Tortoise Media.

2. Entries must be no longer than 800 words. Titles are not included in the word count.

3. Entries can be from anywhere in the world, but all work must be written in English.

4. Entries must be the entrant’s own original writing. Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted. Joint submissions are not allowed. Entrants will retain copyright in their entries.

5. Any entries judged to contain AI-generated content will be disqualified without refund.

6. Entries should not have appeared in print or on a website, including blogs and social media sites. No entries should have been broadcast or submitted for publication elsewhere.

7. Once entered, entries cannot be amended or substituted.

8. Your entry must not be obscene, libellous, or in breach of any other legislation or regulations, including confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements.

9. Disqualified entries will not be refunded.

10. There is no restriction on the number of times you can enter the Competition.

11. The closing date and time of the Competition is 11.59pm on 28th February 2026. Entries received after this deadline may not be considered.

12. By submitting an entry, you give permission to the Observer, Tortoise Media and the International Anthony Burgess Foundation for your entry to be published both in print and online, along with your name and town or city of residence.

13. We reserve the right to change the panel of advertised judges without notice. The judges reserve the right not to award the prize, or to reduce the amount of prize money if, in their opinion, such action is justified for any reason.

14. The judges’ decision about the winning and runner-up entries will be made before 31 May 2026.

15. The prize cannot be exchanged or transferred by you and cannot be redeemed for any other prize. You must pay all other costs associated with the prize and not specifically included in the prize.

16. We take no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete, or which cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt.

17. The winner may be invited to take part in promotional activities.

18. The Promoter of the Competition is the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester M1 5BY. Any complaints regarding the Competition should be sent to this address.

19. The Competition is governed by English law, and it is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England.

20. The Promoter reserves the right to alter these terms and conditions at any time and without notice.

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