Arctic Convoys writing competition

2021 is the 80th anniversary of the first Arctic Convoy to Soviet Russia, which sailed from Liverpool to Arkhangelsk in 1941, carrying munitions and supplies that were vital for the Allies’ victory in the Second World War (1941-1945). 

To mark this important date, Western Approaches H.Q and the British Council, Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in Moscow, are pleased to announce the Literary Competition on the theme of The Second World War: Artic Convoys (1941-1945). 

We invite submissions of short stories and poetry, exploring this important yet largely unacknowledged aspect of our shared wartime history.  

Prizes. 

First Place: £1500 and an invitation to present your piece at the official opening ceremony of the new Arctic Convoys display at Western Approaches, Liverpool on 26 February, 2022. Accommodation and travel expenses will be covered by the organizers. If you are unable to attend in person, our team will be open to discussing opportunities for your virtual participation. 

Second Place: £750 

Third Place: £400 

All winners will have their pieces published on the Western Approaches and Big Heritage websites and receive two complimentary tickets to Western Approaches to see the new Arctic Convoys display.  

Arctic Convoys: Background. 

“The convoys represented a marathon of human and mechanical endurance.”  

G.H. Bennett, military historian, (“The worst journey in the world.” The Arctic Convoys and the Second World War, History Extra, 9/10/2021) 

On 22 June 1941 Hitler launched his invasion of the Soviet Union, code-named Operation Barbarossa, deploying nearly 3 million soldiers, 3,000 tanks, 7,000 artillery pieces, and 2,500 aircraft to capture the Eastern Front.  

Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent immediate help to the Soviet Allies, which came via the Arctic Convoys. Merchant Navy ships escorted by Royal Navy, Canadian Royal Navy, and United States Navy warships and air cover, travelled through the treacherous Arctic, carrying vital supplies to the Soviet Union, including tanks, trucks, fighter planes, ammunition, fuel, medicine, food and much more. The average journey was about 2,500 miles and took one to two weeks each way.  

During the four years of their operation, 78 convoys (approximately 1,400 ships) made the dangerous voyage from the United Kingdom, Iceland and North America to Soviet Russia. Many sailors lost their lives in the stormy waters of the Arctic attacked by the Nazi U-boats, torpedoes, and aircraft. 

The Arctic Convoys remain an enduring symbol of shared history, heroic cooperation, and peoples’ sacrifice in the joint fight for life and freedom. 

*For more information on the history of the Arctic Convoys, please email paige@bigheritage.co.uk to receive a brief written by John McKay, author of Surviving the Arctic Convoys: The Wartime Memoirs of Leading Seamen Charlie Erswell.  

The themes can include but are not limited to the following: 

  • What life was like aboard the convoys. 
  • The impact of the aid that the Convoys brought on the Eastern Front. 
  • The tragic disaster of the Convoy PQ-17  
  • Stories and experiences of convoys’ participants. 
  • Convoy veterans fight to be recognised for their service.  
  • 80th Anniversary of the Arctic Convoys and how they are remembered. 
  • Russian/British relations and shared history. 
  • The Arctic Ocean and convoys’ fight against nature. 

The Panel: 

John McKay, author of Surviving the Arctic Convoys: The Wartime Memoirs of Leading Seamen Charlie Erswell. 

Dr. Emma Venables, fiction writer and academic. Emma taught Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London and Liverpool Hope University.  

Jim Hinks, Senior programme manager, British Council.  

Paige Halliday, project manager, Western Approaches, Arctic Convoys display and public programme. 

Criteria: 

  • The competition is open to UK-based participants, regardless of their gender, age, or nationality.  
  • Submissions must be new, original work that responds to the theme and explores the history and legacy of the Arctic Convoys.   
  • Must be written in English.  
  • One piece may be submitted per person. 
  • Maximum of 3,000 words. Please be aware that any submissions exceeding the word limit could not be considered.  

Formatting Guidelines: 

  • 12pt Times New Roman Font 
  • Double-spaced 
  • Pages numbered 
  • Word count listed below title. 

Submission Deadline: 

Please submit your work in PDF or *docx. format to Paige Halliday at paige@bigheritage.co.uk by 15th January 2022.  

Winners will be announced on 30th January 2022. 

We wish you all good luck! 

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