Rules - must be read first

Must be read in full before entering

1. Entrants should write a radio play of approximately sixty minutes length on any subject of their choice. The finished script must be a minimum of 50 pages of A4 paper (or equivalent) and a maximum of 75 pages (note, a rough guide is a minute per page; read and time your play if you can before you send it!). The play should have a maximum of six central characters (there may be up to 3 small "doubling" characters, too, who don't have more than a few lines each). Your play must be accompanied by a short synopsis which outlines the complete story of the play. This must be no more than 400 words.

2. The play must be the entrants' original, unpublished work. Professional and previously published writers are eligible to enter, but this is not a requirement of entry. The play must not have been professionally produced in any medium (an informal play-reading is acceptable; a play-reading with a professional director and in front of a non-paying audience is acceptable, but a performance involving payment to actors and/or a paying audience is not).

3. There are two categories for entry. One is for entrants who speak English as a first language and the other is for Entrants with English as a second language.

4. The BBC may require proof of eligibility for the selected category before announcing a winner.

5. In the case of an entry by two or more writers, we will need written or email confirmation from each writer involved that they are prepared to take a share of the prize money and are prepared to receive those funds from a nominee who will be one of the writers, as the prize money will be paid to one individual only. The nominee will be selected by the writers and it will be his or her responsibility to distribute these funds to the other writers and the organisers can take no responsibility for that aspect. The co-writers must all enter the same category and be eligible to do so.

6. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 16 at the closing date who is not normally a resident of the United Kingdom. However, entrants who are living/working in the UK temporarily for up to 12 months also qualify. Entrants must not be employees of the BBC or British Council or anyone connected with the competition or their close relatives.

7. No entrant may submit more than one play.

8. The play must be written substantially or entirely in English. Unfortunately, we do not have the facility to offer a translation service. Entries that have been translated must acknowledge this fact by giving a credit to the translator or translators. Entries that have been translated will be entered in the English as a First Language category.

9. The Judges' decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. The BBC does not accept any responsibility for late, delayed, damaged, ineligible, fraudulent or lost entries. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. The right is reserved for the whole script not to be read if it is clear that the quality of writing or subject matter is unsuitable or in breach of these rules.

10. The BBC regrets it is unable to acknowledge receipt of plays or return entries, so remember to keep a copy.

11. The play entered in the competition must not, at the time it is submitted, have been offered for publication, performance or broadcast in any other form or medium to any other person or company. The winning plays will be deemed to have entered into an undertaking not to accept offers for their entries from other broadcasters or publishers before December 2009.

12. As with any new play, the BBC may require further drafts and revisions of the winning plays. Winners must be willing and able to undertake redrafting and revision work in conjunction with the BBC. This work is likely to take place between August and September 2009 and the winning entrants will need to keep time free to achieve this. This work will be completed with the winning entrant using email or the most suitable method available. We reserve the right to revoke a play's prize winning status if this work is not completed.

13. The BBC will reserve the right to make minor cuts, changes and edits to the winners' final draft scripts.

14. Subject to a satisfactory recording being made, the winning plays will be broadcast on BBC World Service in November 2009. No fee will be payable other than the £2500 sterling offered as prize money for one broadcast cycle. If repeated on the World Service, a fee of 50% of £2500 will be payable for the first repeat cycle and thereafter the BBC will be entitled to broadcasting and other rights on the terms of the applicable BBC Radio Drama contract which will be concluded with the winners.

15. The BBC may wish to seek from the runners-up certain additional rights in their plays for educational/development purposes which may include, but not be limited to, permission to record scenes of the play to be available online at www.bbc.co.uk and possibly for broadcast. Entrants agree that the right for the BBC to record and possibly broadcast/use scenes from their play online in this way will be available to the BBC in principle, subject to negotiation of appropriate terms for the exact use in question at the time.

16. The prize(s) must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred.

17. The BBC and the British Council reserve the right to withhold prizes, amend the rules or to cancel the competition in whole or in part if they consider it necessary, or if the standard of entries so justifies.

18. It is a condition of entry that entrants warrant that their work contains no defamatory matter (provided, however, that they shall not be liable for any defamatory matter which in the opinion of the BBC was included in the script without negligence or malice on their part), also that it does not contain any quotation from copyright material without appropriate permission having been obtained. Entries must not be obscene or in any way unsuitable for broadcast. Such entries will be immediately disqualified.

19. The BBC and British Council may consider arranging for the publication of a book containing some of the plays entered in the Competition. To make this possible, it is desirable that the winning writers retain their publishing copyright until 31 December 2009.

20. All plays must reach us in London by midnight GMT on Tuesday 31 March 2009. No exceptions will be made. The deadline for receiving entries for the competition is final. No entries received after the given date will be considered.

21. The names of the short listed entrants and the titles of their plays will be posted on the competition website in August 2009. Following the final judges' meeting, the winners' names and the titles of their plays will be posted on the website by end September 2009. You can access the competition website by visiting www.bbcworldservice.com/radioplay and selecting International Playwriting
Competition 2009 from the options listed there.

22. The 2 overall winning plays will be recorded in October 2009 and the playwrights invited to attend the production and a prize-giving event in London. A small contribution to their expenses will be made.

23. Winners agree to take part in any post-competition publicity as required.

24. The BBC reserves the right to exclude any entry from the competition at any time and at its absolute discretion if the BBC has reason to believe that an entrant has breached these rules.

25. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition.

26. These rules are governed by the law of England and Wales.