Commonwealth Short Story Prize Writing Contest

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is a contest open to anyone aged 18 and above who is a citizen of a Commonwealth country. The prestigious competition is free and invites submissions of unpublished short fiction ranging between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

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• Publication Status: Submissions must be previously unpublished and remain so in any language until 1 May 2025.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.