Those of you who’ve been following this blog for a while will know that I have promoted the competitions organised by Eddie Walsh of Emerald Writing Workshops several times. I felt these contests had a cheap entry fee and were run by someone genuinely interested in writing (and not just out to make a quick buck!).
Recently Angela Greenwood contacted me to point out that the Emerald Writing Workshops website no longer existed and she wondered if I knew what had happened.
When I asked him, Eddie gave me the following sad news:
“In early May I tried to change servers which was a big disaster as the new server is too technical and did not help me log in so site is in limbo. As I have lost the momentum I have decided that the NOBODY comp will be the last one for which I have had about 65 entries. I will refund fees for other comps by end June after judging this comp. Updates will be on www.kerbsidebooks.co.uk (type this into Google – for some reason it doesn’t work as a direct link) as well as results in due course. I will email ALL entrants after judging Thanks for your past support.”
So unfortunately there will be no more competitions – but Eddie is doing the honourable thing and refunding everyone.
I would like to thank Eddie for his competitions and his encouragement to new writers over the last couple of years.
Hope everything goes well for you in the future, Eddie!
Sally Jenkins 
#1 by Debbie W on June 18, 2012 - 1:07 pm
Yes, good luck for the future Eddie and hopefully we’ll see you return with another writing site at some time in the future.
#2 by Keith Havers on June 18, 2012 - 1:32 pm
I too e-mailed Eddie and got the same reply but I couldn’t get into the kerbsidebooks site. So thanks for telling me how to do it. I endorse everything you say about his comps. They were cheap and he didn’t mind you folding the manuscript in half to save on postage.
Sad to see Emerald Writing Workshops go.
#3 by Tracy Fells on June 18, 2012 - 2:27 pm
Hi Sally, I recently heard about this from Eddie too, as I couldn’t find the website. All rather sad as he has run these excellent flash competitions with small entry fees and worthwhile prizes. I always appreciated his mini critiques too. Let’s keep fingers crossed he resurrects the site at some point in the future.
#4 by Julia on June 18, 2012 - 3:08 pm
That is a shame. Poor Eddie. (:
#5 by susanjanejones on June 18, 2012 - 4:46 pm
Hi Sally, funny you should post this today, as I contacted Eddie yesterday being that I couldn’t access his website. I was worried he was somewhere knee deep in second class stamps. It must have been a lot when he had over a hundred entries for the train competiton. Glad he’s alright. That’s the main thing.
#6 by aliceinwritingland on June 18, 2012 - 7:10 pm
Hi Sally, thanks for this update. I’d been wondering where Eddie’s site had gone too…This is really sad news! I had my first writing ‘hit’ with Emerald last year, when my airport story was placed on the shortlist, so I’ve always been a big fan. Such a shame. 😦
#7 by Sally Jenkins on June 18, 2012 - 7:36 pm
I echo all your comments about Eddie’s competitions. Let’s hope he starts again some time in the future. In the meantime I need to find new homes for the entries I’d already submitted for his comps that were to close later in the year…
#8 by seaviewwarrenpoint on June 26, 2012 - 10:34 pm
Awww that’s such a shame. I too was delighted to be shortlisted for the first Emerald comp I entered and I even got my ‘letter to the editor’ published. I wish I’d kept the £2 cheque now! :]
#9 by Sally Jenkins on June 27, 2012 - 12:04 pm
Seaview – I had a £2 cheque too, Eddie always rewarded people for their contributions.