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Short fiction

The Moth Short Story Prize 2023

Information

Closing date: 
30 June 2023
Entry: 
Open to all writers over 16. Entry fee €15 per story
Prize: 
1st prize €3,000, 2nd prize week-long writing retreat at Circle of Misse in France plus €250 travel stipend, 3rd prize €1,000

Every year, a single judge is asked to choose three winning stories to feature in the autumn issue of The Moth, the international art & literature magazine based in Ireland.  Read more

The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize

Information

Closing date: 
16 April 2023
Entry: 
Open to all writers over 18 with an unpublished short story in English of up to 2,000 words
Prize: 
Winner will receive €1500 and many other prizes, 2 runners-up €750 and other prizes

The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize has opened submissions for its sixth year, along with announcing the panel of authors judging the 2023 prize. It asks for innovative and 'boundary-pushing' short fiction under 2,000 words.  Read more

The BBC National Short Story Award 2023

Information

Closing date: 
13 March 2023
Entry: 
British nationals and UK residents, aged 18 years or over. No entry fee
Prize: 
Winner £15,000 plus 4 shortlisted authors £600

 The BBC National Short Story Award is one of the most prestigious for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000, and four further shortlisted authors £600 each.

Enter a story of no more than 8,000 words.  Read more

The Bridport Prize 2022

Information

Closing date: 
30 September 2022
Entry: 
Eligibility please check on the individual category on their website for entry and fees for Poetry, Short Story, Novel, Memoir and Flash Fiction. Entry fees various, please check on their website
Prize: 
Various - please check on their website

The Bridport Prize has five sections: Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Novel Award and a new Memoir section.

Read the Rules carefully, as they have different prizes, rules, entry fees and closing dates.

The Memoir section closes on 30 September.

More details

 

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2022

Information

Closing date: 
31 August 2022
Entry: 
Open to all. Entry fee Poetry entries £12 | Short Fiction entries £18
Prize: 
£2,500 awarded to both the Poetry and Short Fiction winners and publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Anthology, which is awarded to 60 writers, shortlisted by the judging panel.

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award is an international literary prize that is a hotbed for new talent in Poetry and Short Fiction. Now in its 16th year, the Prize supports both emerging and established writers. By entering, writers can showcase their work to key industry figures and organisations including The Poetry SocietyLively and well-presented UK site supporting poetry with 4,000 members internationally and some thoughtful content. www.poetrysociety.org.uk, Granta, VINTAGE and more.  Read more

The Moth Short Story Prize 2022

Information

Closing date: 
30 June 2022
Entry: 
Open to all writers over 16. Entry fee €15 per story
Prize: 
1st prize €3,000, 2nd prize week-long writing retreat at Circle of Misse in France plus €250 travel stipend, 3rd prize €1,000

The Moth Short Story Prize is an important date on the literary calendar. Every year, a single judge is asked to choose three winning stories to feature in the autumn issue of The Moth.  Read more

The BBC National Short Story Award 2022

Information

Closing date: 
21 March 2022
Entry: 
British nationals and UK residents, aged 18 years or over. No entry fee
Prize: 
Winner £15,000 plus 4 shortlisted authors £600

The BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University (NSSA) and BBC Young Writers' Award with Cambridge University (YWA) opened for submissions at 9am on Thursday 13th January 2022.The BBC National Short Story Award is one of the most prestigious for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000, and four further shortlisted authors £600 each.  Read more

2021 Manchester Writing Competition

Information

Closing date: 
28 January 2022
Entry: 
Open to writers across the world. Entry fee for both prizes £18
Prize: 
Two £10,000 prizes are awarded: the Manchester Poetry Prize for best portfolio of poems and the Manchester Fiction Prize for best short story

The Manchester Writing Competition offers the UK's biggest literary awards for unpublished work, offered by the country's most successful writing school. The Competition was established in 2008 by Carol Ann Duffy (UK Poet Laureate 2009-19) and has awarded more than £195,000 to writers.  Read more

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2021

Information

Closing date: 
31 August 2021
Entry: 
Open to all. Entry fee Poetry entries £12 | Short Fiction entries £18
Prize: 
£2,500 awarded to both the Poetry and Short Fiction winners and publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Anthology, which is awarded to 60 writers, shortlisted by the judging panel.

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award is an international literary prize that is a hotbed for new talent in Poetry and Short Fiction. Now in its 15th year, the Prize supports both emerging and established writers. By entering, writers can showcase their work to key industry figures and organisations including The Poetry SocietyLively and well-presented UK site supporting poetry with 4,000 members internationally and some thoughtful content. www.poetrysociety.org.uk, Granta, VINTAGE and more.  Read more

The Moth Short Story Prize 2021

Information

Closing date: 
30 June 2021
Entry: 
Open to all writers over 16. Entry fee €15 per story
Prize: 
1st prize €3,000, 2nd prize week-long writing retreat at Circle of Misse in France plus €250 travel stipend, 3rd prize €1,000

The Moth Short Story Prize is an important date on the literary calendar. Every year, a single judge is asked to choose three winning stories to feature in the autumn issue of The Moth.

This year's judge is award-winning story writer and novelist writer Ali Smith.  Read more

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22 May 2023 - What's new

May 2023
  • 'For God's sake, never use a metaphor and then explain it... You can assume a world from so little and readers will.
  Read more

'Never use a metaphor and then explain it'

22 May 2023

'For God's sake, never use a metaphor and then explain it...

You can assume a world from so little and readers will. So I'm more interested economy than encyclopaedism, in how little you can get away with rather than how much you can cram in...

I don't want to write puzzle stories that can be decoded to the correct answer...  Read more