Terms and conditions:

Below are the terms and conditions for the Observer / Anthony Burgess Prize for Arts Journalism.

If you have any questions about these or any aspect of the prize please contact the International Anthony Burgess Foundation by email on events@anthonyburgess.org, or by telephone on 0161 235 0776.

By entering the Competition, you are accepting the following terms and conditions. Entries not following these guidelines may be disqualified without refund.

1. The Prize is not open to people under the age of 18, nor is it open to employees or agencies of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation or The Observer / 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, nor are joint submissions allowed. Upon entering, entrants retain the copyright to your competition entry.

5. Entries detected to contain AI content will be disqualified without refund.

6. Entries should not have appeared in print or on a website, including blogs and social media, nor have been broadcast or submitted for publication elsewhere.

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

8. Your entry must not be obscene, defamatory or in breach of any applicable legislation or regulations.

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 The Observer, Tortoise Media and the International Anthony Burgess Foundation permission for your entry to be published 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 prize money, if, in their opinion, such action is justified for any reason.

14. The judges’ decision of who the winner is will be made by 1st May 2026.

15. The prize cannot be exchanged or transferred by you and cannot be redeemed by you 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 cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt.

17. No purchase is necessary.

18. The winner may be required for promotional activity.

19. 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.

20. The Competition will be governed by English law.

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