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The BBC National Short Story Award 2016

Information
Closing date: 
11 March 2016
Entry: 
UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing No entry fee
Prize: 
Cash prizes of up to £15,000, and a slot for your story to be read

Cash prizes of up to £15,000, and a slot for your story to be read on BBC Radio 4, are available as part of the BBC National Short Story Award 2016 with BookTrust. Now open for its eleventh year, alumni have included Hilary Mantel, Mark Haddon and Lionel Shriver (please note: entrants must have a history of publication in creative writing).

The Award, which last year was won by Jonathan Buckley, aims to promote the best in contemporary British short fiction. Since it began in 2005, its alumni have included established writers such as Hilary Mantel, Mark Haddon, and Lionel Shriver.

It offers an award of £15,000 to the winner, £3,000 for the runner-up and £500 for three further shortlisted writers. In September 2016, listeners will be able to hear the five shortlisted stories read on BBC Radio 4 and discover the stories in the Award anthology published by Comma Press.

The 2016 Award is open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing. The deadline for receipt of entries is 5pm (GMT), Monday 11 March 2016.

The shortlist will be announced on BBC Radio 4's Front Row at 7.15pm on Thursday 15 September 2016

The shortlisted stories will run on BBC Radio 4 from Monday 19 to Friday 23 September from 3.30pm to 4pm. The announcement of the BBC National Short Story Award 2016 with BookTrust winner and runner-up and the Young Writers' Award winner will be broadcast live from the Award ceremony on BBC Radio 4's Front Row from 7.15pm on Tuesday 4 October 2016.

Diana Gerald, CEO at BookTrust, added:

'Over the last 10 years the BBC National Short Story Award has showcased work from the highest calibre of writers, both established short story specialists such as William Trevor and Sarah Hall, novelists including Lionel Shriver and Mark Haddon and relative newcomers including Lucy Wood and Francesca Rhydderch. We look forward to attracting the most innovative and exciting stories from writers, publishers and agents during this special year of reading.'

The Award continues to serve as a reminder of the power of the short story and to celebrate a literary form that is proving ever more versatile in the 21st century. It can now be enjoyed not just on the page, on air and increasingly on every sort of screen as well as in flash fiction events, short story festivals and slams. The ambition of both the Award and BookTrust's short story content is to expand opportunities for British writers, readers and publishers of the short story. BBC Radio 4 is the world's biggest single commissioner of short stories with short stories broadcast every week attracting more than a million listeners.

Terms and conditions

How to submit

 

 

Closing date: 
11 March 2016
Entry: 
UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing No entry fee
Prize: 
Cash prizes of up to £15,000, and a slot for your story to be read