Are you willing to write a short story for radio and win ?2,000 in the process?

The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) is once again on the hunt for talented writers for the 2002 Commonwealth Short Story Competition.

The organisers are inviting entries from all over the Commonwealth and the stories can be on any subject, must be unpublished and should be about 600 words (typewritten or word-processed).

"Over the years, the stories have been in every variety of the English language, owing to the mixing of English with local languages in several countries," said CBA secretary-general Elizabeth Smith.

"They are exceptionally interesting in that they indicate the preoccupations of people in different areas of the Commonwealth."

She added: "One extraordinary thing to notice is the continuing success of the Caribbean. This small region outshines all others in the numbers of winners they have had over the years."

Last year was the third time in the past four years that the best Commonwealth short story for radio had gone to the Caribbean. Ms Lelawattee Manoo-Rahming, a mechanical engineer and writer from the Bahamas, won the 2001 short story competition for her story `Saving Rupa', about a young girl's struggles to overcome the trauma of the attempted rape of her older sister.

The competition began in 1996 and its aim is to promote Commonwealth links through broadcasting high quality short stories submitted by writers from members countries. The Commonwealth Foundation funds the awards and the top 26 entries are recorded on to a CD and broadcast widely through the Commonwealth.

The deadline for the receiving of entries is May 1. Submissions should be sent to: Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, PO Box 1023, Cardiff CF24 3YF, United Kingdom.

The fax number is, 44 (0)20 7583 5549, e-mail address is storycba.org.uk and website is www.cba.org.uk