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Your writing could feature alongside those of Tracy Chevalier Here's a great competition organised by York Art Gallery where author Tracy Chevalier is currently writer-in-residence.Tracy's best-known novel is Girl with a Pearl Earring, inspired by the painting of the same name by Johannes Vermeer, and she often uses art and history as starting points for her works of fiction. With this in mind the gallery is asking writers to pen a 300-word story about one of 15 pieces of art (ten paintings and five ceramics) on display at the gallery. This competition is really up my street but picking one piece is proving really difficult. Tracy is a great writer and I really admire the way she weaves a story around a piece of art or a person. I can't wait to read her next book about fossil hunter Mary Anning - working title 'She sells seas shells.' Two winners will be chosen by Tracy, one from the young people's category (12 -17) and one from the adults' (18 and over). The winning stories will be published on the back of postcards showing the piece of art they are inspired by. These will be included in a gift pack of postcards also containing stories by Tracy on selected works. The winners and runners-up will also be invited to join Tracy at a prize-giving event in November, to read their stories to the public. The winner of the adults' category will receive £100 and the winner of the young people's category, £50. Runners-up will receive copies of the art book What Great Paintings Say by Rainer and Rose-Marie Hagen. To enter choose a painting or ceramic from the 15 featured on the York Art Gallery website, or on show at the gallery between May 8 and September 30 2008. Now write a story of 300 words or less and type it onto a single side of A4 paper or in an email. 'Man with a book' by Parmigia - One of the art works you could choose Please include the title of the painting or ceramic that has inspired your story, your story's title (if this is different) and the number of words in your story. Send email entries to [email protected] or post them to Short Story Competition, York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York, YO1 7EW or drop them in at York Art Gallery in person. The closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, 2008 Full details of the rules are available at www.yorkartgallery.org.uk * You can meet Tracy Chevalier at York Art Gallery next month gallery and ask her about her work, writing processes and her thoughts on the paintings on display. Tuesday July 1st, 2pm - 4pm.

Join us today at 2:00 central time for Book Bites for Kids, live on blogtalkradio.com.

YA author Wendy Toliver will talk about her new book, The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren.

To learn more about the book go to http://www.myspace.com/roxytoliver or http://www.wendytoliver.com.