For the first time, Quais du Polar is collaborating with the French National Police on a new short story competition for high school students : the Court Polar Prize.
Three winners will be awarded the «plot», «thrill» and «writing» prizes at the 21st edition of the festival. The three winners will be chosen by a jury of professionals, including Quais du Polar representatives, criminologists, authors, YouTubers specializing in True Crime, journalists, scriptwriters and publishers.
The winning short stories will receive media coverage on the national police force’s social networks. Winners will receive a prize of thrillers and the chance to experience exclusive immersions in prestigious police departments, such as the national forensic police service or the RAID.
THE RULES
- Your detective story should be no more than 40,000 characters long and sent in Word format.
- Your short story should feature a policewoman or a policeman, and should be full of suspense and twists.
- The text can be written individually or in groups.
- The text must be written in French.
The full competition rules are available on the Police Nationale website, and can also be downloaded here.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
- December 21, 2024 (before midnight): deadline for sending registration form to courtpolar@interieur.gouv.fr
- February 20 midnight: closing date for applications
- March 28, 2025: Jury deliberation and communication of results to winners to organize their attendance at the festival
- April 4 – 6: Quais du polar festival in Lyon and awards ceremony (date to be announced).
