Applications are now open for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025, a prestigious annual award celebrating unpublished short fiction. This opportunity is for writers aged 18 and over who are citizens of Commonwealth countries, inviting them to submit original stories of 2,000–5,000 words. The prize offers a £5,000 award for the overall winner and £2,500 for each of the four regional winners across Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, and Pacific. There is no application fee, and submissions are accepted online until 1 November 2025, 11:59 PM GMT. Check out fully funded internships here. Also Check BS, MS, PhD, and Postdoc positions.
Key Details
- Eligibility: Commonwealth citizens or stateless persons residing in a Commonwealth country, aged 18+ by 1 November 2025.
- Regions: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, Pacific.
- Prizes:
- Overall winner: £5,000.
- Four regional winners: £2,500 each.
- Additional prize money for translators if the winning story is a translation.
- Application Fee: None.
- Submission Deadline: 1 November 2025, 11:59 PM GMT.
- Language: English, or untranslated Bengali, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Kiswahili, Malay, Maltese, Portuguese, Samoan, Tamil, or Turkish (translations eligible if by Commonwealth citizens).
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Eligibility Criteria
To enter, you must:
- Be a citizen of a Commonwealth country (or a stateless person residing in one). See the list of eligible countries below.
- Be 18 or older by 1 November 2025.
- Submit an unpublished short story (not published in any form, including online, except on personal blogs/websites or social media).
- Not be a previous overall winner or a three-time regional winner of the prize.
- Not be a current staff member of the Commonwealth Foundation.
Note: Stories shortlisted or awarded in other competitions are eligible if they remain unpublished.
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Entry Rules
- Word Count: 2,000–5,000 words (title not included).
- Language: Entries must be in English, but stories in Bengali, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Kiswahili, Malay, Maltese, Portuguese, Samoan, Tamil, or Turkish are accepted if submitted by the original author without an English translation. Translated stories are eligible if both the writer and translator are Commonwealth citizens.
- Submission:
- Submit via the online form.
- Upload your story as a PDF (or Microsoft Word if PDF isn’t possible) named after the story title (e.g., “MyStory.pdf”).
- Use Arial 12-point font, double-spaced for English entries; appropriate fonts for other languages.
- Include the story title and word count on the first page.
- Do not include your name or personal details in the uploaded document (entries are judged anonymously).
- Limit: One entry per writer per year.
- Originality: The story must be your own, unpublished work and not previously submitted to this prize.
- Simultaneous Submissions: Allowed, but notify [email protected] if your story is accepted elsewhere or wins another prize.
- Genre/Theme: No restrictions—any setting or genre is welcome, but the story must be adult fiction (not written solely for children).
- Copyright: You retain copyright, but the Commonwealth Foundation may publish winning stories online, in anthologies, or for promotional purposes.
Best opportunity: Switzerland TaDA Residence Program 2026
Commonwealth Countries by Region
- Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, 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, 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, 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, Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn.
