The Open Grants Call 2023-24 is now accepting applications. Find out more
Submissions are now open!

Commonwealth Short Story Prize

2024

The 2024 Prize is open for submissions until 1 November 2023.

The prize is free to enter and open to any citizen of a Commonwealth country aged 18 and over. It is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words).

Submissions should be made via the online entry form which is available from the link below. The eligibility and entry guidelines can be found here.

The international judging panel will select a shortlist of around twenty stories, from which five regional winners are chosen. One of the regional winners is then selected as the overall winner, who receives £5,000. The regional winners will receive £2,500. All five regional winning stories will be published on Granta.

Scroll down to read answers to frequently asked questions about the prize, including who can enter, how stories are judged and what languages we accept.

For any inquiries regarding the prize, please email: creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com

কমনওয়েলথ শর্ট স্টোরি অ্যাওয়ার্ড সেরা অপ্রকাশিত ইংরেজী ছোট গল্প (2000-5000 শব্দ) -কে দেওয়া হয়। অন্যান্য ভাষা থেকে ইংরেজিতে অনুবাদ করা গল্পগুলিও পুরস্কারের জন্য বিবেচিত হয়। প্রতি বছর পাঁচটি কমনওয়েলথ এলাকা থেকে পাঁচজন বিজয়ী লেখক নির্বাচন করা হয়। আঞ্চলিক বিজয়ীরা পাবে £ 2,500 এবং সামগ্রিক বিজয়ীরা পাবে £ 5,000। যদি বিজয়ী এন্ট্রি ইংরেজিতে অনুবাদ হয়, অনুবাদক অতিরিক্ত পুরস্কারের অর্থ পাবেন।

যে লেখকরা বাংলায় লেখেন, কিন্তু যাঁদের গল্পের ইংরেজি অনুবাদ নেই, তাঁদের মূল বাংলায় গল্প জমা দেবার আমন্ত্রণ জানানো হচ্ছে। এই গল্পগুলি বিচার করার জন্য প্রথমে অভিজ্ঞতাসম্পন্ন পাঠকদের পড়তে দেওয়া হবে। মনোনীত গল্পগুলিকে ইংরেজিতে অনুবাদ করা হবে আন্তর্জাতিক বিচারক মন্ডলীর জন্য।

দয়া করে আপনার গল্প নিচের লিঙ্ক ব্যবহার করে অনলাইন প্রবেশপত্রের মাধ্যমে জমা দিন।

কোনো প্রশ্ন থাকলে ইমেইলে যোগাযোগ করুন creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com.

共和联邦短篇小说奖”(The Commonwealth Short Story Prize)主要以未发表的英文短篇小说(2,000-5,000字)为征稿对象。其他语种翻译成英文的短篇小说,也符合参赛资格。每年,五个联邦区将各选出五名获奖作家。区域优胜者将获2,500英镑,总冠军则可获£5,000奖金。如果获奖短篇小说被翻译成英文,翻译者将获得现金奖励。参加本奖项是免费的

欢迎华文作家直接呈交中文小说稿件,无需事先英译。评审过程如下:小说会先由精通中文者阅读,这一阶段获选的佳作都会被翻译成英文,并续由国际评审小组审阅

如有疑问,请电邮 creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com.

Le Commonwealth Short Story Prize est attribué à la meilleure nouvelle inédite (2 000 à 5 000 mots) écrite en anglais. Aussi sont éligibles les nouvelles d’autres langues traduites en l’anglais. Nous sélectionnons chaque année cinq lauréats des cinq régions du Commonwealth. Les lauréats régionaux reçoivent chacun £2 500 et le grand vainqueur part avec £5 000. Si la nouvelle gagnante est une traduction vers l’anglais, la traductrice ou le traducteur recevra une récompense supplémentaire.  La participation est gratuite.

Nous invitons les écrivaines et écrivains qui écrivent en français, qui sont citoyennes / citoyens d’un pays membre du Commonwealth et qui n’ont pas de traduction en anglais de leurs nouvelles, à envoyer la nouvelle écrite en français. Elles seront dans un premier temps lues par des lecteurs francophones expérimentés. Les nouvelles qui auront retenu l’attention de ces lecteurs seront traduites en anglais afin d’être lues par le jury.

Veuillez soumettre votre nouvelle via le formulaire d’inscription en ligne en utilisant le lien ci-dessous.

Pour toute question, veuillez écrire à creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com

Το Βραβείο της Κοινοπολιτείας απονέμεται στο καλύτερο αδημοσίευτο διήγημα (2.000-5.000 λέξεις) στα αγγλικά. Διηγήματα μεταφρασμένα στα αγγλικά από άλλες γλώσσες είναι επίσης επιλέξιμα. Κάθε χρόνο επιλέγουμε πέντε νικητήρια διηγήματα από τις πέντε περιφέρεις της Κοινοπολιτείας. Οι περιφερειακές νικήτριες / περιφερειακοί νικητές λαμβάνουν από £2,500 και η γενική νικήτρια/ο γενικός νικητής λαμβάνει £5,000. Αν το νικητήριο διήγημα είναι μεταφρασμένο στα αγγλικά, τότε δίνεται χρηματικό ποσό και στον μεταφραστής. Η συμμετοχή στον διαγωνισμό είναι δωρεάν.

Καλούμε τους συγγραφείς που γράφουν στα ελληνικά, που είναι πολίτες της Κοινοπολιτείας και που δεν έχουν ήδη την αγγλική μετάφραση των διηγημάτων τους να υποβάλουν τα διηγήματά τους στα ελληνικά. Στο πλαίσιο της διαδικασίας αξιολόγησης, έμπειροι ελληνόφωνοι αναγνώστες θα διαβάσουν τα διηγήματα. Τα διηγήματα που θα περάσουν επιτυχώς στο επόμενο στάδιο αξιολόγησης θα μεταφραστούν στα ελληνικά για να διαβαστούν από τη διεθνή κριτική επιτροπή.

Παρακαλούμε υποβάλετε το διήγημά σας μέσω της ηλεκτρονικής φόρμας χρησιμοποιώντας τον πιο κάτω σύνδεσμο.

Για οποιεσδήποτε απορίες, παρακαλούμε επικοινωνήστε μαζί μας στο creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com.

Hadiah Cerpen Komanwel diberikan kepada cerpen berbentuk fiksyen (2,000-5,000 patah perkataan) yang terbaik dalam Bahasa Inggeris yang belum pernah diterbitkan. Cerpen yang diterjemahkan ke dalam Bahasa Inggeris juga layak untuk disertakan dalam sayembara ini. Setiap tahun, kami memilih 5 penulis dari lima wilayah Komanwel yang berbeza sebagai pemenang. Pemenang wilayah akan menerima £2,500 dan pemenang keseluruhan akan menerima £5,000. Sekiranya cerpen yang menang merupakan terjemahan dalam Bahasa Inggeris, penterjemah akan juga menerima hadiah wang tunai yang. Penyertaan adalah percuma.

Kami menjemput penulis yang menulis dalam bahasa Melayu, dan tidak mempunyai terjemahan cerpen tersebut dalam Bahasa Inggeris untuk menyertakan cerpen mereka dalam Bahasa Bengali yang asal. Sebagai sebahagian daripada proses pengadilan, cerpen yang dikirimkan akan dibaca terlebih dahulu oleh pembaca Bengali yang berpengalaman. Cerpen yang terpilih di peringkat ini akan diterjemahkan ke dalam Bahasa Inggeris untuk dibaca oleh panel pengadil antarabangsa.

Sila kirimkan cerpen anda dengan melengkapkan borang penyertaan dalam talian melalui pautan di bawah.

Sekiranya anda mempunyai sebarang pertanyaan, sila hubung creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com.

Bi pjaċir inħabbru li bi sħubija mal-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb ta’ Malta, għall-ewwel darba, qed naċċettaw sottomissjonijiet bil-Malti għall-Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

Il-Premju Commonwealth tan-Novelli jingħata lill-aqwa novella fittizja mhux ippubblikata (2,000 – 5,000 kelma) bl-Ingliż jew tradotta għall-Ingliż. Kull sena nagħżlu ħames novelli rebbieħa minn ħames reġjuni tal-Commonwealth – l-Afrika, l-Asja, il-Kanada u l-Ewropa, il-Karibew u l-Paċifiku.  Ir-rebbieħa reġjonali jirċievu £2,500, u r-rebbieħ fost ir-rebbieħa jirċievi £5,000. Jekk in-novella rebbieħa hija tradotta, it-traduttur jew traduttriċi jirċievu l-istess premju monetarju. Il-parteċipazzjoni hija b’xejn.

Nistiednu kittieba li jiktbu bil-Malti, u li huma ċittadini ta’ pajjiż fil-Commonwealth u li m’għandhomx traduzzjoni għall-Ingliż tan-novella tagħhom, biex iressqu n-novelli tagħhom bil-Malti. Qarrejja Maltin b’esperjenza se jiżnu dawn in-novelli, u novelli li jiksbu suċċess se jiġu tradotti għall-Ingliż biex jitqiesu minn panel internazzjonali ta’ aġġudikanti.

Jekk jogħġbok aqra r-regolamenti u ressaq in-novella tiegħek permezz tal-formola online li tinsab f’din il-ħolqa.

Jekk għandek xi mistoqsijiet, ikteb lil creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com.

O concurso de contos da Fundação Commonwealth é atribuído ao melhor conto de ficção (2,000-5,000 palavras) não publicado em inglês. Contos traduzidos de outras línguas para inglês também são elegíveis. Cada ano selecionamos cinco escritores de cinco regiões da Commonwealth. Os vencedores regionais recebem £2,500 e o vencedor absoluto recebe £5,000. Se o conto premiado for uma tradução para inglês, o tradutor também recebe um prêmio em dinheiro.

Convidamos escritores de Moçambique que escrevem em português e que não têm uma tradução em inglês do conto a enviar os seus contos em português. Como parte do processo de selecção os contos serão primeiramente lidos por leitores portugueses experientes. Contos que sejam bem sucedidos nesta primeira fase serão então traduzidos para inglês para serem lidos por um júri internacional.

Para enviar o seu conto preencha o formulário online.

Se tiver alguma questão por favor contacte creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com.

O le 2024 Prize o le a tatalaina mo talosaga mai le aso 1 o Setema 2023 i le aso 1 o Novema 2023.

O le fa’ailoga e sa’oloto e ulufale ma tatala i so’o se sitiseni o se atunu’u o le Commonwealth e 18 tausaga ma luga atu. Fa’ailoga mo tala fatu pu’upu’u sili e le’i fa’asalalauina (2,000–5,000 upu).

O talosaga e tatau ona faia e ala i le pepa ulufale i luga o le initaneti lea o le a maua i luga o lenei itulau mai ia Setema 1. E mafai ona maua le agavaa ma taʻiala ile ulufale iinei.

O le a filifilia e le au faatonu faavaomalo a tusitala se lisi puupuu o le tusa ma le luasefulu tusiga, lea o le a filifilia ai le lima manumalo faʻaitulagi. O se tasi o manumalo faʻaitulagi ua filifilia e avea ma manumalo atoa, mauaina £ 5,000. O le a maua e le au manumalo fa’aitulagi £2,500. O tusiga manumalo uma e lima faʻaitulagi o le a lomia i Granta.

Fa’asolo i lalo e faitau tali i fesili e masani ona fesiligia e uiga i le taui, e aofia ai po’o ai e mafai ona ulufale, pe fa’afefea ona fa’amasinoina fa’amaumauga ma po o a gagana tatou te talia.

Mo so’o se fesili e uiga i le taui, fa’amolemole imeli: creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com

Tuzo ya Hadithi Fupi ya Commonwealth inatolewa kwa hadithi bora ya Kiingereza ambayo haijawahi kuchapishwa (maneno 2,000 – 5,000). Hadithi zilizotungwa kwa lugha nyingine pia zinaweza kuwasilishwa. Kila mwaka, tunachagua washindi watano kutoka kanda tano za Commonwealth. Washindi wa kanda hutuzwa £2,500 na mshindi wa jumla hutuzwa £5,000. Kama hadithi iliyoshinda imetafsiriwa kwa Kiingereza, mtafsiri naye atatuzwa.

Kujiunga na shindano ni bure.

Tungependa kuwaalika waandishi wanaoandika kwa Kiswahili, na ambao hawana mtafsiri wa Kiswahili, watume hadithi zao kwa Kiswahili. Kama sehemu ya tathmini yetu, hadithi hizo zitasomwa kwanza na wazoefu wa lugha ya Kiswahili. Hadithi yoyote itakayokubalika katika ngazi hii ya kwanza itatafsiriwa kwa Kiingereza na kusomwa na jopo la majaji katika ngazi ya kimataifa.

Tafadhali wasilisha hadithi yako kwa kupitia fomu inayopatikana kwa kubofya hapo chini.

Kwa maswali yoyote, tafadhali tuandikie creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com.

காமன்வெல்த் சிறுகதை பரிசு, ஆங்கிலத்தில் எழுதப்பட்ட, இதுவரை வேறெங்கும் வெளிவந்திராத புனைவு சிறுகதைகளுக்கு (2000-5000 வார்த்தைகள்) வழங்கப்படுகிறது. வேறு மொழிகளிலிருந்து ஆங்கிலத்திற்கு மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்ட கதைகளும் போட்டிக்கு தகுதிபெறும். ஒவ்வொரு வருடமும் வெற்றி பெறும் ஐந்து போட்டியாளர்கள் வெவ்வேறு ஐந்து காமன்வெல்த் பிராந்தியங்களிலிருந்து தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்படுவர். அவர்கள் ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும்  £2500 வழங்கப்படுவதுடன் அவர்களில் இறுதியாகத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்படும் வெற்றியாளர் ஒருவருக்கு £5000 வழங்கப்படும். பரிசு பெற்ற சிறுகதை ஆங்கிலத்தில் மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்டால், அதன் மொழிபெயர்ப்பாளர் சில பரிசுத் தொகையைப் பெறுவார். போட்டியில் பங்குபெற அனுமதி இலவசம்.

தமிழில் கதை எழுதுபவர்கள் ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பு இல்லையென்றாலும், தமிழிலேயே தங்கள் கதைகளை அனுப்பலாம். தேர்வு விதிகளின் ஓர் அங்கமாக, அக்கதைகள் அனுபவமுள்ள தமிழ் வாசகர்களால் வாசிக்கப்பெறும். இந்த முதல் நிலையை வெற்றிகரமாகக் கடக்கும் கதைகள், சர்வதேச தேர்வுக்குழுவினர் வாசிப்பிற்காக ஆங்கிலத்தில் மொழிபெயர்க்கப்படும்.

ஆன்லைனில் உங்கள் கதைகளை விண்ணப்பிக்க கீழே கொடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ள இணைப்பை சொடுக்கவும்.

போட்டியில் பங்குபெற இங்கே நுழையவும்.

மேலும் விபரங்களுக்கு creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com -இல் தொடர்புகொள்ளவும்.

Commonwealth Öykü Ödülü, daha önce İngilizcede yayımlanmamış en iyi öyküye (2.000-5.000 kelime) verilir. Diğer dillerden İngilizceye çevrilen öyküler de kabul edilir. Her yıl Uluslar Topluluğu’nun beş farklı bölgesinden beş yazar birinci olarak seçilir. Bölge kazananlarının ödülü kişi başı 2.500 sterlin, büyük ödül ise 5.000 sterlindir. Kazanan öykü İngilizce çeviriyse çevirmen de ayrıca para ödülü alır. Başvuru ücretsizdir.

Türkçe yazan, Uluslar Topluluğu vatandaşı olan ve metinlerinin İngilizce çevirisi bulunmayan yazarları, öykülerini Türkçe olarak göndermeye davet ediyoruz. Değerlendirme sürecinde öyküleri önce tecrübeli Türkçe okurlar tarafından incelenecektir. Bu ilk aşamayı geçen öykülerin hepsi İngilizceye çevrilecek ve uluslararası jüri tarafından değerlendirilecektir.

Öykünüzü göndermek için lütfen aşağıdaki bağlantıda bulunan online başvuru formunu kullanınız.

Sorularınız için creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com adresine yazabilirsiniz.

Wi aksep enchriz eena Kriol fahn eny konchri eena di Kamanwelt. Wahn Kriol reeda wahn reed di Kriol enchryz eena da paatikyoola Kriol langwij, ahn di bes stoariz wahn geh chranslayt tu Inglish ahn paas aan tu di jojin panel.

Ih noh kaas notn fi enta di praiz, ahn eni Kamanwelt sitizn weh 18 er ova ku enta. Di praiz goh tu di bes shaat fikshan weh noh poblish aredi (2,000-5,000 werdz). Di wina fahn eech reejan geh £2,500 ahn di apachooniti fi geh dehn stoari poblish onlain eena Granta magazeen, ahn di ovaraal wina geh £5,000.

Pleez reed di roolz eena Inglish dong yah, ahn yooz di onlain enchri faam fi enta yoh stoari.

Commonwealth Short Story Prize aksepte zistwar an Kreol aster par bann ekriven dan bann pei Commonwealth. Enn lekter-natif dan sak lang Kreol pou lir bann lantre. Nou pou tradir bann meyer zistwar ki enn ziri pou lir.

Li pa kout narien pou zot anvway zot zistwar. Zot louvraz li zis bizen pa finn pibliye ayer ek bizen ant 2000-5000 mo. Tou dimoun ki ena omwen 18 an kapav partisipe. Zot ena ziska le premie Novam. Pou ena enn pri rezional £2500 ek enn pri zeneral £5000. Zistwar bann gagnan pou pibliye dan magazinn Granta.

Pou plis linformasyon en Angle klik ‘Entry Rules’. Pou soumet zot louvraz klik ‘Enter the Prize’.

Pou lanné 2022 nou ka envité jan tout sé péyi ‘Commonwealth-la’ ki ka ékwi listwa an Kwéyòl pou pwan pa adan konpétisyon ti listwa Commonwealth-la. Ou ka senpliman voyé ti listwa’w an Kwéyòl ba nou.

Nou kay voyé tout sé listwa-a nou wisivwè a bay an moun ki ka palé èk li lanng kwéyòl sala, ki kay li èk wakonté yo ban nou an langlé. Nou kay chwazi sé listwa-a ki pli mèyè pou mété yo an langlé èk voyé yo bay sé gwan jij-la.

Ou pa ni pou péyé anyen pou patisipé, èk tout jan péyi ‘Commonwealth’-la ki ni dizwitan o plis sa patisipé adan konpétisyon sala. Yo ka aksèpté sèlman ti listwa ki pòkò twapé pibliyé pyès koté èk ki ni ant 2000 èk 5000 mo. Patisipan-an ki voyé listwa-a sé jij-la konsidéwé ki pli mèyè kay genyen gwan pwi-a. Sé patisipan-an ki genyen mèyè listwa adan wéjyon yo kay wisivwè 2,500 pon èk listwa yo kay twapé pibliyé pa ‘Granta’ magazine asou ‘intanèt’. Patisipan–an ki voyé listwa-a ki jijé pli mèyè listwa anpami tout kay wisivwè 5ooo pon.

Change language:
Submissions will close on: 2 November 2023, 12am BST

This year’s judging panel

  • Photo: Danny Moran

    Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

    Chair

    Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi wrote The First Woman (2020), which in 2021 won the Jhalak Prize, was shortlisted for The Diverse Book Award, the Encore Prize and the James Tait Black Prize, and longlisted for The Aspen Words Literary Prize. Her first novel, Kintu, won the Kwani? Manuscript Project in 2013, the Prix Transfuge du meilleur premier roman francais in 2019 and, in the same year, she was shortlisted for Edward Stanford Awards and longlisted for the Prix Médicis. Her collection of short stories, Manchester Happened, was shortlisted for The Big Book prize: Harper’s Bazaar in 2019 and longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize. Jennifer was the recipient of the prestigious Windham-Campbell Prize in 2018. She was also the overall winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2014. She was part of the DAAD Artist-inBerlin programme in 2022 and currently she is Artist in Residence at STIAS Stellenbosch. She has a PhD from Lancaster University and has taught in several universities in the United Kingdom.

  • Keletso Mopai

    Judge, Africa Region

    Keletso Mopai is a South African writer and geologist. Her award-nominated and acclaimed debut collection of short stories If You Keep Digging, a social commentary on Post-Apartheid South Africa, was published in 2019 by Blackbird Books. Her work has been published in several journals internationally including Internazionale, The Johannesburg Review of Books, Catapult, Portside Review, Imbiza Journal, Kaleidoscope Magazine, Lolwe, and anthologies such as Joburg Noir. She returned to university in 2022 to pursue an MA in creative writing at The University of Cape Town where she wrote a novel-in-stories about a farm murder set in her hometown, Tzaneen.

  • O Thiam Chin

    Judge, Asia Region

    O Thiam Chin is a short story writer, screenwriter, and novelist from Singapore. His work has been published in Granta, The Cincinnati Review, Mānoa, The Brooklyn Rail, World Literature Today, The International Literary Quarterly, Asia Literary Review, Kyoto Journal, The Jakarta Post and Quarterly Literary Review Singapore. Thrice longlisted for the Frank O’ Connor International Short Story Award, he is the author of six story-collections, including Love, Or Something Like Love, which was shortlisted for the 2014 Singapore Literature Prize. His debut novel, Now That It’s Over, won the inaugural Epigram Books Fiction Prize in 2015 and the Best Fiction title at the 2017 Singapore Book Awards. His second novel, Fox Fire Girl, is currently being adapted into a feature film. He was an honorary fellow of the Iowa International Writing Program in 2010, and a recipient of the Singapore National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award in 2012.

  • Photo: Olivia Li

    Shashi Bhat

    Judge, Canada and Europe Region

    Shashi Bhat is the author of the forthcoming story collection Death by a Thousand Cuts (McClelland & Stewart/Penguin Random House Canada), and the novels The Most Precious Substance on Earth (McClelland &Stewart/Grand Central), a finalist for the 2022 Governor General’s Award for fiction, and The Family Took Shape (Cormorant), a finalist for the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award. Her fiction has won the Writers’ Trust/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize and been shortlisted for a National Magazine Award and the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award, and has appeared in publications across North America, including The Threepenny Review, The Missouri Review, The Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, Best Canadian Stories, and The Journey Prize Stories. Shashi holds an MFA from Johns Hopkins University and a BA from Cornell University. She lives in New Westminster, BC, where she is the editor-in-chief of EVENT magazine and teaches creative writing at Douglas College.

  • Photo: Ignus Dreyer

    Richard Georges

    Judge, Caribbean Region

    Richard Georges is a writer of essays, fiction, and three collections of poetry. His most recent book, Epiphaneia (2019), won the 2020 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, and his first book, Make Us All Islands (2017), was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection. Richard is a founding editor of Moko magazine, a Fellow of the Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Study, and the first Poet Laureate of the British Virgin Islands. He works in higher education and lives on Tortola with his wife and children.

  • Photo: Glenn Hunt

    Melissa Lucashenko

    Judge, Pacific Region

    Melissa Lucashenko is a multi-award winning Bundjalung novelist from Brisbane. She is a Walkley Award winner for her non-fiction writing and a founding member of human rights group Sisters Inside.

Frequently asked questions

  • Who is eligible to submit?

    The prize is open to all Commonwealth citizens aged 18 and over –  please see the full list of Commonwealth countries here.

  • What do the winning writers receive?

    The regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives a total of £5,000. The winning stories are published online by Granta and in a special print collection by Paper + Ink. The shortlisted stories are published in adda, the online literary magazine of the Commonwealth Foundation.

  • What is the word limit?

    The story must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

  • Is there any required theme or genre?

    The prize is only open to short fiction, but it can be in any fiction genre–science fiction, speculative fiction, historical fiction, crime, romance, literary fiction–and you may write about any subject you wish.

  • In what languages do you accept entries?

    Submissions are accepted in Bengali, Chinese, Creole, English, French, Greek, Malay, Maltese, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, Tamil, and Turkish. Stories that have been translated into English from any language are also accepted and the translator of any winning story receives additional prize money.

  • Can I enter a story I have previously submitted?

    You cannot enter a story you have submitted in previous years.

  • Can the story be published?

    Your submission must be unpublished in any print or online publication, with the exception of personal websites.

  • How is the prize judged?

    Entries are initially assessed by a team of readers and a longlist of 200 entries is put before the international judging panel, comprising a chair and five judges, one from each of the Commonwealth regions – Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. All judges read entries from all regions.

    Entries in other languages are assessed by relevant language readers and the best submissions are selected for translation into English to be considered for inclusion on the longlist.

    The judging panel select a shortlist of around twenty stories, from which five regional winners are chosen, one of which is chosen as the overall winner.