Comma Press opens submissions for the Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2026
Comma Press and the University of Lancashire are delighted to announce that the Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction is once again open for submissions with the theme ‘Fandoms’.
The Dinesh Prize was set up following the death of Comma’s much-loved director and founding board member, writer Dinesh Allirajah in 2014. The prize aims to create a lasting legacy out of Dinesh’s love for writing short story fiction during his lifetime.
Now in its ninth year, submissions will be open from August 26th, 2025 and will close on October 13th 2025. Following a rigorous longlisting and shortlisting process, the winner will be announced in May 2026.
This prize is open to both published and unpublished writers and aims to seek out the best established and up and coming voices in the form.
About the Theme
The theme for this year’s prize is Fandoms and Fanatics, paying homage to Dinesh’s dedication to jazz and love of cricket. Your story could feature characters raving about a football team, mad about a boyband or deeply committed to their favourite hobby, be it chess, crochet or stamp collecting.
We encourage writers to think outside the box and consider both the positive and negative aspects of fandom and fanaticism. Feel free to play with style and genre as you navigate this all-encompassing world.
Submission Eligibility and Rules
The prize is open to anyone aged 18 years or over who is a resident of the UK, and the story submitted must not have been previously published anywhere else, online or in print.
The prize is free to enter. Please read the following rules carefully and ensure your document is correctly formatted before submitting:
Your story must be sent as a Word document. If your story is submitted as a pdf or in any other format it will not be submitted for judging
Your name must not be included on the document as entries are judged anonymously
The file name should be the title of your story
Your story should be 1.5 spaced and include the word count somewhere on the document
Word count: 2,000 – 7,500 words
Your story should not contain any images, symbols or unconventional formatting
For legal reasons, your story should not contain any libellous, blasphemous or copyrighted material
Prize
The winning writer will receive £500 and all shortlisted authors will be featured in an eBook anthology which will be published by Comma Press and sold online.
Ready to submit?
Once you have checked that your story is correctly formatted using the list above, please submit your entry via Google Form HERE. If you have any questions or issues with this, please get in touch on isabella.barber[at]commapress.co.uk
