Do you understand the real spirit of Christmas? Can you express it in words?
The Guardian is calling on would-be writers to sum up the true meaning of the season of goodwill in our special Spirit of Christmas short story competition.
The story – aimed at adult readers – should be a feel-good tale which gets to the very heart of why we all love Christmas.
It can be set in past, present or future and based anywhere, so long as it is centred on the spirit of Christmas and gives readers a warm glow.
So if you think you can out- Dickens the author of A Christmas Carol with your own heart-warming tale of seasonal good cheer, we would love to read it.
The story must be between 800 and 1,000 words in length and not have been published anywhere else previously.
The winning story will appear in the Guardian’s Christmas edition and online at southwalesguardian.co.uk.
The winning author will also receive a £50 prize.
The winning story will be chosen by Guardian staff and the editor’s decision is final. The Guardian reserves the right to edit stories prior to publication.
To find out more, email steve.adams@southwalesguardian.co.uk
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