School and Colleges - Student Competition

The UK Speechwriters’ Guild is offering five bursaries* to attend their annual conference at the Bournemouth University Media School on Friday 21 September 2012.

This year’s all-day conference, ‘Do Speeches Still Matter?’ will include contributions from:

• US speechwriting expert, Chris Witt
• Political communications blogger, Dr Max Atkinson
• The speechwriter to the President of the European Investment Bank, Jan Sliva.

Topics to be discussed will include PowerPoint, demagoguery, humour and eulogies.

The UK Speechwriters’ Guild conference brings together leading professional speechwriters working in business and politics from across Europe. The Guild supports the professional development of speechwriting skills through the sharing of experience.

How to enter

Candidates wishing to be considered need to submit a 200 word summary of their interest in a career in speechwriting, plus a speech of no longer than 300 words for the Prime Minister. The subject can either be:

• Why people need to start their own business, or
• A vision for the future relationship between Britain and Europe

*To be eligible, candidates must be enrolled in full-time education (UK or overseas). Bursaries cover the cost of registering for the conference on Friday 21 September 2012; they do not include lunch or accommodation.

• Entries need to be sent in a Microsoft (MS) Word file by 1 September 2012 to: info@ukspeechwritersguild.co.uk. Applicants will need to include their full name, a contact telephone number, their date of birth, email address and also details of the school or college they currently attend.
• Successful candidates will be informed by email before 7 September 2012.
• The entries will be judged by Dr David McQueen, Lecturer in Politics & Media at Bournemouth University Media School, Dr Johann Siebers, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy of Communication at the University of Central Lancashire and Brian Jenner, from the UK Speechwriters’ Guild.

For any further information please contact Brian Jenner (info@ukspeechwritersguild.co.uk, 01202 551257 or 07545 232980) or David McQueen (dmcqueen@bournemouth.ac.uk).