THE judges have been announced for the national short story competition run through The Northern Echo.

Also backed by Orange and Darlington Arts Centre, the competition is organised by Inscribe Media Limited, based in Darlington.

All the judges live in the North-East. The adult category will be judged by Carina Rodney, whose work includes plays for radio and stage, novelist Fiona Cooper and former County Durham librarian Stan Dean.

Judges for the junior section will be Fiona Ritchie-Walker, a short story writer and poet who works with young people, and Darlington author John Dean.

The adult section is for people aged 17 and over, with the junior section for those aged 11 to 16.

The maximum length of stories for the adult category is 3,000 words, and the first prize is £300.

Stories for the junior category must be no more than 2,000 words, and winners will receive a book token donated by Darlington bookstore Ottakar's.

Writers are asked to clearly mark which category they are entering.

Full details of rules and conditions are available on The Northern Echo website at www.theshortstory.co.uk or by sending a stamped addressed envelope to John Dean, c/o The Northern Echo Newsdesk, PO Box 14, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 1NF.

Leaflets will be available at selected arts venues across the region. Regular updates will be published in The Northern Echo and on its website.

For writing tips, go to www.orangelabyrinth.co.uk