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The prize will return in January 2027

Commonwealth Short Story Prize

2027

We are postponing the 2027 Commonwealth Short Story Prize until January 2027 so we can comprehensively review the prize’s processes, entry rules and submission guidelines. Scroll down to read more.

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About the prize

The Commonwealth Foundation would like to thank all those who participated in the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. It is a privilege to receive so many creative and engaging stories that demonstrate the immense literary talent of the Commonwealth.

This year, allegations were made that artificial intelligence (AI) was used to write the prize’s winning stories. We responded by conducting a month-long review of the creative process behind each story before finally deciding to uphold the decision made by the 2026 judging panel. While we stand by the outcome of the review process, we also acknowledge the need to evolve our approach and ensure all participants—including staff, entrants, readers and judges—are more prepared to meet the challenges posed by AI in future competitions.

In view of this, we are postponing the opening of the 2027 Commonwealth Short Story Prize until January 2027 to conduct a comprehensive review of the prize’s processes, entry rules and submission guidelines.

We firmly believe in supporting emerging literary talent and amplifying less-heard voices across the Commonwealth, and we remain committed to sharing unique human stories which show imagination and flair. We can only do this by making sure that we have robust and fair processes in place.

To all writers who were planning on entering the prize this autumn: thank you for your patience. We look forward to reading your stories in January

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

Frequently asked questions

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

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

  3. 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.

  4. We accept stories written 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.

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

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 Your submission must be unpublished in any print or online publication, with the exception of personal websites.

  7. Entries are initially assessed anonymously by readers through multiple rounds of review. Then 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-five stories, from which five regional winners are chosen, one of which is chosen as the overall winner.

    Please note that entries are read by real people at every stage of the judging process and not put through an AI system.

    Please note that we are currently reviewing our processes ahead of the 2027 Prize, and as a result, the details in this FAQ may change. 

  8. We now receive close to 8,000 entries each year. Due to the large volume of submissions, please note that we are unable to provide individual feedback on submissions.

  9. If you have any questions about your submission, please email them to creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com. Be sure to include your entry submission number to ensure we can assist you promptly.

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