Victory Radio and the Portsmouth Authors Collective's ‘Pick of the Pops’ short story contest opens for budding Portsmouth writers

Loree Westron, founder of Portsmouth Authors Collective, outside Victory Radio studios

Victory Radio and the Portsmouth Authors Collective have joined forces to launch a new competition that aims to get Pompey writing.

Victory listeners are invited to submit a short story of up to 600 words during the month of May.

Ten of the best will be selected to be broadcast on radio this summer, and the top three will also win a bundle of books by local authors and merchandise from the radio station.

Called Pick of the Pops, the competition links to Victory’s passion for nostalgia and has a musical twist.

Stories should be named and themed after a song from the 1950s to 2000s period, which can be any song of the writer’s choice and they are free to interpret the title however they wish.

Jackie Green is one of the local writers behind the initiative.

She said: “We’ve got an amazing bunch of writers in Portsmouth – and we know there are even more out there waiting to be discovered!”

“With just 600 words required and a theme we can all have fun with, Pick of the Pops is accessible for everyone. It’s a low-effort way to have a go at writing a story for the first time, as well as an opportunity for more established writers to get greater exposure. I can’t wait to read the entries and hear them on radio!”

The competition is open to all Victory listeners in Portsmouth and beyond, costs just £5 to enter and closes on 31 May. For more info visit victoryonline.co.uk.