Deadline: November 1, 2024
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025 has been announced for excellent writers around the globe. This Commonwealth prize is provided with no restriction of degree, either you are an undergraduate, graduate, or a PhD holder, you can apply and compete with the community of writers.
The Commonwealth essay competition wants you to submit that story which should not be published in any kind of publication before. The team of readers and international judging panel will assess your entries first. The panel will be comprised of a chairperson and give judges from each of the following Commonwealth regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. If the selections are of languages other than English, they should be first assessed by the relevant language readers and translated into English for consideration to be included in the list. The translator of the winning story will also receive an additional prize award.
The required genre for the prize is the fiction genre which includes science fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction, romance, crime, and literary fiction. Depending upon your interest and area of choice, you can write on any of the above themes. Submissions are accepted in Turkish, Bengali, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, English, Maltese, Samoan, Portuguese, Tamil, and Swahili. From the pool of around twenty stories, only five regional winners will be selected. All of the regional winning stories will be published on Granta. The Commonwealth Award is granted on the foundation of equality, justice, and inclusion.
This essay contest by the Commonwealth aims to support the active participation of individuals in all areas of governance, nurture the growth of civil societies in all Commonwealth member countries, and promote the principles and vision of the organization. The internationally renowned organization moves around the values of integrity, respect, professionalism, innovation, plurality of thought and expression, as well as collaboration. The civil society organization is committed to strengthening people’s engagement in public dialogue so that they can act and learn together and build democratic societies in the world.
Benefits
- The winning writers will receive a prize award of a minimum of £2,500 and a maximum of £5,000.
- The winning writers will get exposure to international English writing skills.
- Familiarity with the Commonwealth’s mission, vision, and core values.
Eligibility
- Citizens of all Commonwealth member countries can apply.
- Should be of age 18 and above.
- Should be able to write a quality story.
- The story should not have been published before.
- The story should be between 2000 to 5000 words.
- No discrimination based on gender, race, religion, etc.
Prize Regions
- Africa: Includes countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and others.
- Asia: Includes countries such as India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and others.
- Canada and Europe: Includes Canada, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and others.
- Caribbean: Includes countries such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and others.
- Pacific: Includes Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and others.
Application
- Applicants must apply through the official website.
- Register yourself by entering into the prize competition.
- Carefully read the entry rules.
- Fill up all the required fields.
- Complete the information carefully and submit it.
Entry Rules
- Entries must be submitted by the original author via the online entry form by November 1, 2024 (11:59 PM in any time zone).
- Only one entry per writer is allowed each year.
- The story must be the original work of the entrant and should not have been published in any form, including online, except on personal blogs, websites, or Facebook pages.
- Entries previously submitted to the Commonwealth Short Story Prize are not eligible.
- Stories should be submitted in English or one of the specified languages if no English translation is available. Translations are eligible if submitted by the original author.
- Entries must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words (excluding the title).
- The story should be uploaded as a PDF document with the title of the story as the file name. The document must not include the author’s name or any personal details.
- The story must be in Arial 12-point font with double line spacing, and all pages should be numbered.
- The story must be adult fiction and not written solely for children.
Selection Criteria
- Excellent Academic record.
- Quality of Writing.
- Meeting the eligibility criteria.
To apply, click here