Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2026 (£5,000 prize) – YOA

Deadline: November 1, 2025

Applications are open for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2026. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is an annual award for unpublished brief fiction administered and funded by the Commonwealth Foundation.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize began in 2012 with the launch of Commonwealth Writers. Free to enter and with a world attain throughout 5 continents, the Prize seeks out proficient writers and brings tales from new and rising voices to a global viewers. Stories usually come from nations with little or no publishing infrastructure and from locations which are marked by geographical, geopolitical or financial isolation. The Prize now attracts between 6,000 and seven,000 entries annually from virtually the entire 54 nations of the Commonwealth. It is awarded for the most effective piece of unpublished brief fiction.

Commonwealth Writers is the cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation. They encourage and join writers and storytellers the world over, bringing private tales to a world viewers.

Prizes

There shall be 5 winners, one from every area. One regional winner shall be chosen as the general winner.

• One of the regional winners is chosen as the general winner, who receives £5,000. The regional winners will obtain £2,500.
• All 5 regional successful tales shall be printed on Granta.

Eligibility

• Entrants have to be residents of a Commonwealth nation or stateless individuals at the moment residing in a Commonwealth nation. The Commonwealth Foundation will request verification of citizenship standing earlier than winners are chosen. Entries from residents of non-Commonwealth nations will not be eligible.
• For regional functions, entries shall be judged by nation of citizenship. Where the author has twin citizenship (of two Commonwealth nations), the entry shall be judged within the area the place the author is completely resident.
• There is not any requirement for the author to have present residence in a Commonwealth nation, offering that they’re a citizen of a Commonwealth nation.
• Entrants have to be aged 18 years or over on November 1, 2025.
• All entries shall be accepted on the discretion of the Commonwealth Foundation which can train its judgement, in session with the prize chair, in ruling on questions of eligibility. The ruling of the chair on questions of eligibility is remaining, and no additional correspondence shall be entered into.
• Entries from earlier general winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize will not be eligible. Entrants who’ve gained the regional prize thrice are additionally not eligible to undergo the prize.
• Entries from present members of workers on the Commonwealth Foundation will not be eligible.
• Entries have to be unpublished and stay unpublished in any language till 1 May 2026.
• If your entry has been shortlisted or gained a prize in different competitions, offered it has not been printed, it’s eligible.

Prize Regions

• Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, eSwatini, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia. Overseas Territories: Saint Helena, Tristan Da Cunha, Ascension Island.
• Asia: Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka
• Canada and Europe: Canada, Cyprus, Malta, United Kingdom. Overseas Territories: Gibraltar, Falkland Islands.
• Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago. Overseas Territories: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands.
• Pacific: Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. Overseas Territories: Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn.

Application

Writers have till 11.59pm GMT on 1 November 2025 to enter their story.

Click here to submit your entry

For extra info, go to Commonwealth Short Story Prize.