2026 Ink of Ages Fiction Prize
World History Encyclopedia’s international historical and mythological short story contest:
Stories should be set at least 50 years ago, with historical stories set against the political, social, and cultural climate of the event a participant wants to write about. For mythological stories, writers should make it clear which myth they are writing about, but the time period and place of the original myth can be changed.
The contest has categories for both adults and children aged 13 to 17 years old. The adult entrants must submit a story between the word limit of 1,500 to 2,000 words, and for the youth category the word limit is between 800 to 1,000 words. The stories submitted should not be published elsewhere. The story should be a standalone piece.
Submissions must meet the following criteria to be considered:
- The story must follow our definitions for historical fiction or mythological fiction and be set at least 50 years ago.
- Only previously unpublished stories are eligible (your own blog or social feed is okay).
- Entrants must be 18 or older for the main contest. Youth entries age 13–17 must be accompanied by parental consent.
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Enquiries about submissions should be directed to The World History Encyclopedia please always refer to their website for complete details and information.
Please note, this call is run by The World History Encyclopedia, not the Commonwealth Foundation.
