Guardian Unlimited and Bebo.com have joined forces to launch a new literary competition that will encourages users to write their own "nanotales", which can cover any subject, but in less than 1,000 words. Entries will be judged by the public and a panel and the winning authors will be announced on the opening day of the London Book Fair. The stories will be published in a new anthology next year.
The competition was launched alongside Bebo Authors, the website's new feature that gives authors a platform to upload video clips, writing tips and chapter extracts.
Short stories are an obvious genre for the digital word. They are easy to download and read on portable devices and could help convert readers to ebooks and longer and more demanding digital content.
