The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is an annual literary award for unpublished short fiction in English from Commonwealth countries. The Commonwealth Writers, an initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation, administers the prize. It was established in 2011 to promote and celebrate the diversity of storytelling within the Commonwealth, which comprises countries formerly part of the British Empire. The prize includes 5 Commonwealth regions of Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Pacific and the Caribbean. Are you from these regions? Participate in the Commonwealth Foundation short story prize and get a chance to win up to £5,000.
This international competition is free of charge and welcomes entries from individuals aged 18 and above from any of the Commonwealth regions. It seeks to recognize excellence in unpublished short fiction of 2,000 to 5,000 words. An international panel of judges will select around twenty stories for a shortlist. From this list, five regional winners will be selected. One of them will be chosen as the grand winner and awarded a prize of £5,000. The remaining regional winners will each receive £2,500 as recognition for their achievement. All five regional winning stories will be presented in Granta.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2024 is an excellent opportunity for writers, regardless of their level of experience, to showcase their stories to a global audience. The prize brings together writers from diverse Commonwealth nations, promoting cultural understanding and connection through storytelling. It emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a means of expression and exchange. This competition goes beyond rewarding the best story, it serves as a platform for writers to share their unique perspectives and start meaningful conversations worldwide.
Since the beginning of this international short story writing contest, the award has served as a driving force to discover and highlight a range of regional writers who had the potential to become sources of inspiration within their respective communities. Ever since then, the Commonwealth Short Story Prize has gained momentum with remarkable growth from 2,000 entries in 2012 to over 6,000 submissions today. These entries represent nearly every nation within the Commonwealth and span eleven languages.
Here are more details about the Short Story Writing Competition
Deadline is November 1, 2023
