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My Manchester

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What is your Manchester to you?

‘My Manchester’ is an open challenge for people to share reflections on their Manchester in 52 words. We will publish a selection on the website and entries from each age group will be chosen to enter the Manchester City Archive Repository. We also want to create a piece of art that gathers everyone’s reflections into a single global expression of what Manchester is, of what all the Manchesters are. Write 52 words and be a part of something unique!

A lot can be written in 52 words. Hemingway famously wrote a story in just six words. Flash-writing (as it’s known) is the art of storytelling, whether fiction or non-fiction in a concise and complete manner. Think of it as writing a postcard to a loved one who cannot be with you. What is Manchester to you, what are your strongest memories and experiences, what emotions does Manchester stir in you? What is Manchester like at this very moment in time?

The challenge is simple… in 52 words, what does your Manchester mean to you?

Your name

Your age group
 7-11 years
 12–14 years
 15-16 years
 Over 16

Your email address

Which of the world’s Manchesters are you writing about?

In exactly 52 words, what does your Manchester mean to you?

Terms of Entry

  • Entries can be short factual stories, poems, parables, songs or anything else as long as they are exactly 52 words in length. (Not 51 or 53 but 52!)
  • For simplicity, hyphenated words count as two words.
  • Only one entry per person.
  • There are four age ranges for entry. 7-11 years, 12–14 years, 15-16 years and over 16.
  • 13 entries from each category will be chosen to enter the Manchester City Archive Repository for perpetuity.

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