[Tim Love]

Worth a try, though there might be extra strings attached, so read the small print.

• Genomics Forum Poetry Competition 1st prize 500 pounds. Deadline 7 October. Max 50 lines. Theme - improving the human - "The human genome has been unravelled and mapped. Genes responsible for different illnesses and conditions are being identified. Will this information improve the human and help us avoid disease and death? And does this desire to be perfect mask something more sinister a lack of empathy for the imperfect? Will this lead to a genetic divide between rich and poor? Do we even want to live for ever? Or, like the Sibyl, do we think that death gives life its meaning?". Details on http://www.genomicsnetwork.ac.uk/for...,23732,en.html
  
• Writers and Artists Yearbook Story Competition 1st prize 500 pounds + an Arvon course. Deadline 14th Feb. Max 2000 words. Theme - 'compulsion'. Details on http://www.writersandartists.co.uk
  
• The Tom Gallon/Olive Cook Award for Stories 1st prize 1000 pounds. Deadline 31 Oct. Max 5000 words. "The awards must be made to a writer of fiction who has had at least one short story accepted for publication, and who has serious writing ambitions. The submitted story should be traditional, rather than experimental, in character, and the financial circumstances of the writer should be taken into account". Details on http://www.societyofauthors.org/tom-...ive-cook-award
  
• A Sea of Words (story anthology) The writers of the best 20 short stories will have their works published and have a free trip to Barcelona in December. Deadline 15 Sept. Max 2,500 words. Content needs to be "related to the creation and/or consolidation of dynamics aiming to reinforce inclusion, social conflicts resolution and respect of social justice and equality principles". You must be under 30. Details on http://www.iemed.org/seaofwords

[Rick Mullin]

Thanks Tim. I will be firing something off to the genome pack by end of business.

Rick

[John Whitworth]

Good God! Imagine avoiding Death. It really doesn't bear thinking about. No Death = no children. An everlasting old folks home. Jeeze. Borges has a marvellous story called 'The Immortals'. And Tennyson has 'Tithonus'. Do these science people never READ? Nope. They don't.

[Gail White]

Not to mention, John, Swift's famous account of the deathless Struldbrugs, which has been called "the best sermon ever written".

[Allen Tice]

Originally Posted by John Whitworth

Good God! Imagine avoiding Death. It really doesn't bear thinking about. No Death = no children. An everlasting old folks home.

Well, my best buds, the yeasts, don't die. Nope. And they have kids jest like theyselves, and they're fun-guys too.

Let's see that genome thing, Rick.