Amazon is Offering a Beedle The Bard Ballad Writing Contest
This comes from Amazon’s Beedle the Bard Page:
Calling all Harry Potter fans!
Want to get your (gloved) hands on J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard? Amazon.com wants to send you and a friend to London, England to spend a weekend with the rare and delightful book of fairy tales (security guards included, of course), handwritten and illustrated by J.K. Rowling herself. Open to muggles ages 13 and older in 24 countries, the Beedle the Bard Ballad Writing Contest challenges you to creatively answer one of the following three questions in 100 words or less:
• What songs do wizards use to celebrate birthdays?
• What sports do wizards play besides Quidditch?
• What have you learned from the Harry Potter series that you use in everyday life?English-language submissions will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. PDT April 22, 2008. An Amazon.com committee will select 10 semi-finalist submissions (based on creativity and writing style) from each of two age categories: 13-17 and 18-and-over. Amazon.com customers will determine the two finalists and Grand Prize winner by voting for their favorites. The Grand Prize includes round-trip airfare, two nights lodging at a London hotel, as well as an expense allowance. Plus, each of the finalists from the two age groups will receive an Amazon Gift Certificate in the amount of $1,000.
Key contest dates:
• April 9-April 22, 2008: Call for submissions.
• May 5-May 11, 2008: Semi-finalists are revealed and customers vote for their favorites.
• May 13-May 19, 2008: Finalists in each age group are revealed, and customers vote for the Grand Prize winner.
• May 22, 2008: The Grand Prize winner is announced.
For more information, view our Frequently Asked Questions, or read the official rules.
Good luck!
April 9th, 2008 at 11:28 am
I’m entering. Everyone here, who can, should enter too. I am taking it as a given though, that if you can, you will. Do you think I can get people to look it over?
April 9th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
That crash you just heard was me, sweeping all my homework off the table to actually start writing something important! I’m just a little confused, though- do we answer there questions separately or in one essay?
April 9th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
I think you only answer one. Which one will you do?
April 9th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Ooh, I don’t know! Depends what angle you want to go for, you know? Sentimental, or funny? Sweet, or creative? Wow, I’m getting all worked up already!
April 9th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I am currently trying to decide between funny and sad/sentimental. Either way, I am screwed. I am not a writer.
Rosie- we’d be happy to proofread it if you want (and yes, I will join you when you win, thanks).
April 9th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I think I’m going to do the Lessons one. Thanks for offering to proofread. I am usually pretty solid with structure and vocabulary, but my grammar is often faulty. If one of us wins, we will, of course, be submitting a detailed report of what it was like.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I have written my entry. I am going to post it here, so everyone please tell me what you think.
Harry Potter has taught me many things. The most important lesson that Harry Potter has taught me is that you have to keep going. Through out the series, people try to discourage or stop Harry, but he always keeps going. In the end, he is triumphant. Through reading the Harry Potter books, I have learned that no matter what life throws at you, you have to keep trying. I have learned that if you keep trying, and sticking to what you think is right, you will eventually succeed. I think this is the most valuable lessons you can learn.
That’s my entry, at 99 words. Does it repeat it self too much?
April 9th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I’m having trouble posting, so this is a test…
April 9th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Your having trouble posting?
April 9th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Yes… I keep trying to submit my entry, but it says the action is forbidden.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
That can’t be good. I wonder why that’s happening?
April 9th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Don’t know… I thought it was because I had copied and pasted it, but I typed it all out and it still won’t work.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
im getting started right now
April 9th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Maybe it was too long, Michal? But that seems unlikely, seeing the length of one of Potter’s #1 fan post.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Michal- sometimes wordpress is troublesome like that. I don’t know….
Rosie- Your points are good, I think you need a bit more variety in your wording though. Try to avoid using the same words (i.e., keep trying, keep going, etc.) numerous times. Maybe use some synonyms i.e., persevere.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Thanks! I am going to make some changes now.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
what do you think
I have learned many lessons from Harry Potter, one especially stood out to me. What stood out to me the most was that sometimes you have to rely on people. You can’t always be only dependent on yourself. Most of the time, harry tries to go into a battle alone. Like at the end of book six when he says to Ron and Hermione that he’s going to find the horcruxes alone. Ron insists that he and Hermione will go with him. The two of them help out a lot on the proving that other’s help can be very useful.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
austin: that’s good. You might want to cut “one especially stood out to me”. I’m not sure if it’s actually grammatically wrong, but I’m not sure if I like the way it sounds. You also repeat that statement in the next sentence, in better words.
The new, edited version of my entry:
Harry Potter has taught me many things. The most important lesson that I have learned is that you have to keep going. Through out the series, people try to discourage or stop Harry, but he always stands up and does what he thinks is right. In the end, he is triumphant. Through reading the books, I have learned that no matter what life throws at you, you have to persevere. I have learned that if you stay strong, and stick to what your beliefs, you will eventually succeed. I think this is the most valuable lesson you can learn.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
thanks rosie
April 9th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
your welcome. what do you think of mine?
April 9th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
i think its good its original, thats usualy hard for me
April 9th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
thanks. i like the idea in yours. if i wasn’t a nice person who didn’t copy other peoples work (if I can help it) and hadn’t already written one, i might use your topic
April 9th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
A popular (and controversial) sport among casual Wizarding recreations is the game of “Muggle.”
April 9th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
The basic guidelines to “Muggle” are as follows: a wizard is selected to play the role of a Muggle confronted by acts of magic.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Ok, well, those are the first two lines, but I’m not going to do this line-by-line
April 9th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Is that what you are writing about? I want to read more!
April 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
The “Muggle” must ignore all magic by any means necessary, while refraining from performing magic himself. The game is typically played in escalating levels, which can culminate in dangerous magic being performed on the body of the defenseless “Muggle.”
April 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Though this sport has been banned at gatherings of twenty wizards or more, it remains enthusiastically conducted at many heavily attended Wizarding events.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
SO sorry for all the posts, but yay! It’s all up.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Um I think I would rather have a nice quiet dinner. London? they dive on the wrong side of the road over there and talk funny.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I love it! If you have room, maybe go into more detail about why its controversial.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I wish I could, I had a whole little essay written out! But it’s 100 words exactly. Do you think the wording is a little too violent?
April 9th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
no, it’s good
April 9th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
michal i think you have me beet
April 9th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
did you submit it yet
April 9th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Thanks Rosie and Austin! No, I haven’t sent it in yet. I’m going to sit on it for a little while, see if anything comes to me.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I want to run mine by a few more people before I submit it. I wish we didn’t have a word limit! It’s killing me. I understand why it’s there, but still! I could write pages, chapters, maybe even novels.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Greg just read mine and said, “It’s good. I mean it isn’t going to win. But it’s good.”
April 9th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
It could win! Please post it here so we can read it.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I don’t know if I want to. Not because of you guys, but it is a pretty universal theme that I don’t want anyone else who may stumble upon this to read (and steal). I hope you don’t mind.
April 9th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
That’s ok. Maybe you could read it on the show? But I guess that’s almost as bad.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
big conversation today
April 9th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I ate at some French place. Took the family. Nice essay. Michal. Best of luck to all who enter. Me I am more into food. Now if there was a dinner included in the prize package, Id be more spun up about it. French food is odd. Throw some sauce on something and it’s “gormet” The deserts are very awsomely sinful though. I think the french version of magic deals with their workings in chocolate.
April 10th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Next time anyone wants to write something long, write in a word document and then paste it. It should work.
April 10th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Rosie- did you get my e-mail?
April 10th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I just got your email, Penny. I love your essay. I’m glad you aren’t in the same age category as me!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
aka “I am glad you’re old.”
April 10th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
No, aka “I’m glad I’m not competing against you.”
April 12th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Damn….. wish I was better at English……Anyway, I would be competing against Penny so I had no chance. Good Luck to everyone who’s going to compete! ¡Buena Suerte!
April 12th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
You never know, they might like yours Yamil. Besides, its worth a shot, isn’t it?
April 12th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I guess… Maybe I’ll send one
April 12th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
You should! The more people submit things, the more chance a HP Progs listener has of going! And if one of us goes, we will get a detailed report on what it was like.
April 12th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Yamil- you definitely should. your english is Great! And if you want to run it by us, we’d be happy tohelp you with it.
April 13th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Yeah, I’m not great at editing, but if you want help, I’ll be happy to help!