The Commonwealth Short Story Prize aims to identify talented writers who go on to inspire their communities. It unearths and promotes the best new writing from across the Commonwealth, developing literary connections worldwide. Learn more about this 2022 Commonwealth Short Story Prize so that you too may be among the winner of the £2,500- £5,000 scholarship award. The commonwealth short story competition is an annual award for unpublished short fiction administered and funded by the Commonwealth Foundation. It is run by Commonwealth Writers, the cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation. The prize covers the Commonwealth regions of 1. Africa, 2. Asia, 3. Canada and Europe, 4. Caribbean and 5. Pacific. In this post, we will share with you all the information you need to help you apply for the 2022 commonwealth short story prize. You will learn about the criteria that make you eligible to apply, the worth of the scholarship, and how to apply for the scholarship.

About the Commonwealth Short Story Competition 2022

The Commonwealth Short Story Award is awarded to the best unpublished short fiction (2000-5000 words). It is open for fiction translation. The overall winner receives an amount worth £5,000 and regional winners receive a total sum of £2,500. Translators will receive additional prizes. The commonwealth short story prize is also an annual award for unpublished short fiction administered and funded by the Commonwealth Foundation. Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £5,000. This program is run by Commonwealth Writers, the cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation. The story should be adult fiction and must not have been written for children alone. There are no restrictions on setting, genre, or theme. Entries must be 2,000 words minimum, 5,000 words maximum. The story must be original work and should not have been published anywhere, in full or in part, in any language, before 1 May 2022. 

More About the Commonwealth Short Story Competition 2022

Entries should be submitted in English, with the following exceptions: entries from Commonwealth citizens who write in Bengali, Chinese, French, Greek, Kiswahili, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Tamil, and Turkish and who do not have an English translation of their story, may submit their stories in the original language. However, the international jury is composed of a judge from each of the five regions. Please note that while entries will be assessed at the regional level, all judges will read and deliberate in all regions. The final selection will be judged by an international jury; Experienced readers will help the designated judges in the selection of the long list.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for the 2022 Commonwealth Short Story Prize you must meet the following requirements:

Entry rules

Eligibility and entry rules

Please read these eligibility and entry rules before beginning the online entry process. The online form is available at www.commonwealthwriters.org from the opening date: 1 September 2022. Submission of an entry is taken as acceptance of the entry rules.For any entry or eligibility queries not covered below, please email writers@commonwealth.int for clarification before submitting an entry.

Commonwealth Short Story 2022 Deadline

The deadline for receipt of entries is 1 November 2022 (11.59pm in any time zone). Apply online through the Apply Now linkEntries must be submitted via the online entry form by 1 November 2019 (11.59pm in any time zone)Before you enter your story, do make sure you read the eligibility and entry guidelines which is available in বাঙালি , 中文, English, française, Ελληνικά, Kiswahili, Malay, Português, Samoa, தமிழ், and Türk.Please note that you will see a confirmation page with your reference number when you have successfully submitted your short story. You should make a note of the number and quote it along with the title of your short story on any correspondence with Commonwealth Writers.If you experience any problems with submission please email: writers@commonwealth.int Regional winners each receive £2,500 and the opportunity to be published online by Granta magazine, and the overall winner receives £5,000. The commonwealth short story competition is an annual award for unpublished short fiction administered and funded by the Commonwealth Foundation. It is run by Commonwealth Writers, the cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation. The prize covers the Commonwealth regions of 1. Africa, 2. Asia, 3. Canada and Europe, 4. Caribbean and 5. Pacific.

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