Commonwealth Short Story Prize Writing Contest

Writers across the Commonwealth countries have been given the opportunity to contest for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. This opportunity is open to only those between the age of 18 years and above.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize contest is free and only requires unpublished short fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

More details about this contest below:

Eligibility Criteria

• Citizenship: Participants must be citizens of a Commonwealth country or stateless individuals currently residing in one. A full list of eligible countries can be found in Section 5 of the rules. Proof of citizenship will be required before winners are announced. Submissions from citizens of non-Commonwealth countries are ineligible.
• Dual Citizenship: If a writer holds dual citizenship in two Commonwealth countries, the story will be judged in the region where the writer permanently resides.
• Residency: It is not necessary to currently reside in a Commonwealth country, as long as the writer holds citizenship of one.
• Age: Participants must be 18 years or older as of 1 November 2024.
• Previous Winners: Writers who have previously won the overall Commonwealth Short Story Prize or have won a regional prize three times are not eligible to enter.
• Commonwealth Foundation Staff: Current staff members of the Commonwealth Foundation are not eligible to participate.
• Publication Status: Submissions must be previously unpublished and remain so in any language until 1 May 2025. However, if your story has been shortlisted or won in other competitions without being published, it remains eligible.

Prizes

• Regional Winners: Each regional winner will receive £2,500.
• Overall Winner: The overall winner, chosen from the regional winners, will receive £5,000.
• Publication: Winning stories will be published online by Granta and included in a special print collection by Paper + Ink. Shortlisted stories will be featured in adda, the Commonwealth Foundation’s online literary magazine.
• Translation Prize: If a winning story is translated into English, the translator will be awarded an additional £750.

Judging and Selection

An international panel of writers will select a shortlist of approximately 20 stories, from which five regional winners will be chosen. One of the regional winners will be awarded the overall prize.

For further inquiries, please contact:
Email: [email protected]

Application Deadline: 2 November 2024, 12 pm GMT

For more details, visit the Official Webpage of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize Writing Contest.