BBC National Short Story Award 2026

About

SHORTLISTED AUTHORS ANNOUNCED 10 SEP, 7pm LIVE ON RADIO FOUR, TUNE IN TO FIND OUT!

Established in 2005, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University was originally established to highlight a literary genre regarded as undervalued and under threat. Its aim was to recognise and celebrate the very best writers of short fiction who had no prize equivalent to major literary awards like the Man Booker Prize. 20 years on, the short story is in robust health and the BBC National Short Story Award is recognised as the most prestigious for a single short story with the winning writer receiving £15,000 and the four shortlisted writers £600 each.

Press

“ As the returning judge over two decades I've seen how the short story has grown and flexed, found ways to reflect new characters and communities and to speak to younger and broader audiences.”
- Di Speirs, Chair of Judges, BBC National Short Story Award 2026

‘Since 2010, all five stories shortlisted for the BBC National short story award have been published in book form by the wonderful Comma Press. It’s always a stellar shortlist, varied in all ways other than quality. As gifts go, the anthology is perfect: first-rate fiction, the stories as compact as the physical book itself (you can carry it in the deep pocket of a winter coat). And, best of all, next Christmas you can give it to the discerning reader all over again’ - Kamila Shamsie, 30 authors on the books they give to everyone, in The Guardian