Deadline: 30 April 2014
Open to: worldwide writers over 16 years old
Prizes: 1st prize £1,000; 2nd prize £700 and 3rd prize £400
Description
The 2014 Bristol Short Story Prize is an international short story competition that publishes an annual anthology as well as presenting cash prizes. It was founded by the editors of the quarterly cultural magazine Bristol Review of Books in 2007 with the aim of publishing great short stories and raising funds for the magazine, enabling it to remain a free publication. The magazine specialises not only in book reviews but also publishes features and comment on a wide range of cultural events, history and arts.
Now in its 7th year, the Bristol-based competition has established itself as one of the UK’s most prestigious open writing competitions, “one of the most important short story prizes in the country” according to Scott Pack, publisher at HarperCollins imprint The Friday Project. The 2014 judging panel will be chaired by writer and former BBC Radio 4 producer, Sara Davies. Sara will be joined on the panel by literary agent, Rowan Lawton, writer and TV presenter, Sanjida O’Connell, and author, performer and journalist, Nikesh Shukla.
The maximum length of submissions is 4,000 words (does not include title), there is no minimum length. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-based (Crime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Children’s, etc).
Eligibility
Entrants must be over 16 years old on the closing date, 30th April 2014. There is no geographical restriction on entry- the Bristol Short Story Prize is open to everyone, whether they are based in the UK or outside the UK. All entries should be in English though.
Prizes
20 stories will be shortlisted and published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Vol 7. The top three winning stories will be selected from the shortlist of 20. The winning writer will receive £1,000 plus a £150 Waterstones gift card, 2nd prize is £700 plus a £100 Waterstones gift card and 3rd prize is £400 plus a £100 Waterstones gift card. All 20 writers whose stories are shortlisted and published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 7 will receive at least £100.
Application
The closing date for entries is midnight (BST) on April 30th 2014. Stories can be entered online HERE or by post.
To enter the 2014 Bristol Short Story Prize by post, please download the postal entry form and send it in with your story/stories to this address: Unit 5.16, Paintworks, Bath Road, Bristol BS4 3EH, United Kingdom.
Please note that there is an entry fee of £8 for each story submitted. Payment for online entries should be made via the website. Payment for postal entries should be made by cheque. Cheque payments must be in pounds sterling and cheques should be made payable to ‘Bristol Short Story Prize Ltd.’. Each postal submission must be accompanied by an entry form.
If you have any questions, you can direct them to writers@commonwealth.int.
For further information please visit the official website.
