Calling all writers and writing groups. Are you inspired by William Shakespeare’s characters? Do you know a Marcus Brutus, who stabs his best friend in the back, a mean Shylock demanding his pound of flesh, or a pair of young lovers like Romeo and Juliet thwarted in love by bickering families?

Do any of these characters inspire a story in you? Or do Shakespeare’s sayings inspire a plot for a rip-roaring story - for example: ‘Love is blind.’, ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be.’ or ‘Jealousy is the green-eyed monster?’

If so, more stories are needed for the short story competition for the Isle of Ely Festival.

To enter, write your unpublished 500-word short story inspired by Shakespeare and send it to rjwestwell@hotmail.com by Wednesday June 15 and you may be a winner. It is free to enter and the prizes are: £50 first prize, £25 second prize and £10 third prize.