The Commonwealth Short Story Prize—administered and funded by the Commonwealth Foundation—is one of the world’s most prestigious awards for unpublished short fiction. Open annually, it welcomes entries from across the five Commonwealth regions:
- Africa
- Asia
- Canada & Europe
- Caribbean
- Pacific
(See Section 5 for the full list of countries in each region.)
Eligibility & Requirements
- Open and Free to Enter: Citizens of any Commonwealth country, aged 18 and above, may apply.
- Story Length: Entries must be original, unpublished short fiction between 2,000–5,000 words.
- Citizenship: Entrants must be Commonwealth citizens or stateless persons currently residing in a Commonwealth country. Proof of citizenship will be required.
- Dual Citizenship: Where applicable, entries will be judged by the region of permanent residence.
- Residence Flexibility: Applicants do not need to currently reside in a Commonwealth country, as long as they hold citizenship.
- Age Requirement: Writers must be 18 years or older by 1 November 2025.
- Publication Status: Submitted stories must not have been published in any form (print or online) prior to 1 May 2026. Exceptions: personal blogs, websites, or Facebook pages.
Prize
- Five regional winners will be chosen, one from each Commonwealth region.
- Overall winner receives £5,000.
- The remaining four regional winners each receive £2,500.
- If the winning story is a translation into English, the translator will also receive prize money.
Submission Guidelines
- Stories must be uploaded as a PDF file (preferred) or a Microsoft Word document.
- File name should be the title of the story (not “Commonwealth Story” or other generic names).
- The first page must state the story title and word count.
- Do not include author details in the uploaded document; these should only be entered on the application form. All judging is conducted anonymously.
Click Here To Apply
