The Bristol Short Story Prize is an international writing competition based in Bristol, UK, which aims to publish great short stories and promote the stories and writers as much as possible. Discovering previously unpublished writers is central to our aims and we are absolutely committed to celebrating the short story form and making it accessible and available to as wide an audience as we can.
The Bristol Short Story Prize is an international writing competition founded by the editors of the quarterly cultural magazine Bristol Review of Books in 2007.
Our Aims
- To publish a brilliant short story anthology every year full of fresh and original stories, and to get it stocked in as many bookshops as possible. This includes high street chains, independent shops and online booksellers.
- To inspire and encourage writers.
- To discover and promote previously unpublished writers.
- To provide an opportunity for writers to get published.
- To share our enthusiasm for short stories in as many ways and with as many people as possible.
- To establish Bristol as a short story centre.
- To raise the profile and support Bristol Review of Books magazine. (BROB magazine is not being published at the moment but we hope to be part of its return to publication at some stage in the future.)
- Please read the rules for the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize carefully before entering:
- Closing date for receipt of entries is April 26th 2023 at midnight BST (‘midnight’ meaning the very last second of April 26th 2023).
- The 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize is open to all published and unpublished writers. There is no geographical restriction on entry – the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize is open to everyone, whether they are based in the UK or outside the UK. Entries can be made online or by post. All entries must be in English. Online entries should be submitted via the online entry facility, usually in Word document, pdf or equivalent. Postal entries will only be accepted as printed typescripts. There are no specific formatting requirements: font type, font size, line spacing etc. Writers may format their work in the way they feel is most appropriate – we do not specify any particular format for submissions. Please send postal entry/entries to: Bristol Short Story Prize, Unit 5.16, Paintworks, Bath Road Bristol BS4 3EH
- Entrants must be over 16 years old on the closing date, April 26th 2023.
- Entries will be read and judged anonymously; entrants’ names and contact details should only appear on the entry form and not anywhere on their stories/manuscripts. The stories/manuscripts must be free of all personal information about the author.
- The maximum length of submissions is 4,000 words (does not include title), there is no minimum length. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-based ( eg. Crime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Romance, Children’s etc..) .
- Entrants may enter as many stories as they like. There is an entry fee of £9 for each story submitted to the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize. Payment for online entries to the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize should be made via the website online entry facility. Entrants’ entry fee payment will be processed by Paypal after they have submitted their story/stories to the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize. Payment for postal entries to the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize should be made by cheque. Cheque payments must be in pounds sterling and cheques should be made payable to ‘Bristol Short Story Prize Ltd.’ Each postal submission must be accompanied by a signed entry form confirming an entrant has read the rules of the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize and accepts the rules of the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize.
- There are 250 free online entries available to those for whom the entry fee is a barrier to submitting to the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize – for instance, those on low income or without paid employment. The free entries will be offered on a 50 per month basis with any remaining carried over to the following month. Those wishing to enter using the free entry option may do so via our online entry facility. There is one free entry available per person. No email request or any other method of application is necessary to use the free entry option. No distinction between free entries and those submitted paying the entry fee will be made during the reading and judging processes.
- Entries will not be returned. Please keep a copy. No corrections or alterations can be made after receipt of an entry.
- Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, in print or online (including self-published, ebook, magazines, journals, websites, blogs, social network sites), or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition on or before October 14th 2023. Any entry found to have been plagiarised will be disqualified. Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please let us know as soon as possible if a story is to be published elsewhere, in print or online (including self-published, ebook, magazines, journals, websites, blogs, social network sites), or broadcast or has won a prize in another writing competition on or before October 14th 2023.
- If entrants require acknowledgement of receipt of a postal entry they must enclose a stamped addressed postcard marked ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Online entries will be acknowledged by email. If an entrant does not receive an email acknowledgement for an online entry they are very welcome to contact Bristol Short Story Prize to confirm their entry has been received. Please contact us via email: enquiries@bristolprize.co.uk
- Entries will be read by our readers. They will select a longlist of 40 stories for the judging panel. The judging panel will select the 20 stories to be published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 16 and the top 3 prize winning stories for the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize. The judges’ decision is final and no individual correspondence will be entered into. Judges or readers will not comment on individual stories or give feedback on individual stories.
- The 2023 judging panel is: literary agent, Abi Fellows; editor, writer, and creative producer, Heather Marks; and writer and independent bookshop manager, Daniel Ross.
- All entrants agree to have their work published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 16, in both print and ebook formats, should they be the author of one of the 20 stories that are shortlisted for the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize. Authors will retain worldwide copyright on their work (including film and dramatic rights) but Bristol Short Story Prize has first publication rights to publish the 20 shortlisted stories for the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 16. Tangent Books will publish the 20 shortlisted stories in both print and ebook formats on October 14th 2023. Each of the shortlisted stories must never have been previously published, in print or online (including self-published, ebook, magazines, journals, websites, blogs, social network sites), or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition on or before October 14th 2023. Please email Bristol Short Story Prize on enquiries@bristolprize.co.uk if clarification of this is needed.
- Once notified that they have been selected for the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize shortlist and will be published in Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 16 (paperback and ebook), all shortlisted writers must confirm and verify that their shortlisted story has not been published in print or online (including self-published, ebook, magazines, journals, websites, blogs, social network sites), or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition on or before October 14th 2023. All shortlisted writers must, also, confirm and verify that their shortlisted story will not be published or is not due to be published in print or online (including self-published, ebook, magazines, journals, websites, blogs, social network sites), or due to be broadcast or due to win a prize in another writing competition on or before October 14th 2023.
- Each of the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize shortlisted authors will receive 2 free copies of the paperback version of Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 16 and will be able to purchase further copies at a discount of 50%. All 2023 Bristol Short Story prize shortlisted writers will be able to purchase any number of copies of any volume of Bristol Short Story Prize Anthologies at a discount of 50%.
- Prizes for 2023 are: 1st prize-£1000, 2nd prize -£500, 3rd prize -£250. Each of the 17 remaining shortlisted writers will receive £100. An additional prize of £100, The Sansom Award, in recognition of the contribution to Bristol publishing of John and Angela Sansom, will be presented to the highest placed story by a Bristol writer. If no story by a Bristol writer is selected for the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize longlist, Bristol Short Story Prize reserve the right not to present the Sansom Award. In the event of two or more stories by Bristol writers being selected for the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize longlist, Angela Sansom will select the winner of The Sansom Award.
- All prizes will be awarded at the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize Awards Ceremony on October 14th 2023 and will be sent to any of the writers who are unable to attend the October 14th 2023 awards ceremony. Prizes, including free copies of the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 16 as well as cash prizes, are not dependent on winners attending the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize Awards Ceremony.
- Entrants will not be contacted individually about the competition results unless they are selected for the shortlist. The 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize longlist and shortlist will be announced on the Bristol Short Story Prize website. The 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize longlist of 40 stories will be posted on the Bristol Short Story Prize website on Wednesday July 19th 2023 at 2pm (BST) and the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize shortlist of 20 stories will be posted on the Bristol Short Story Prize website on Wednesday July 26th 2023 at 2pm (BST). The top 3 prize winners of the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize will be displayed on the website within one week after the awards ceremony.
- Any entrant wishing to withdraw a story from the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize before the closing date and time of midnight (BST) April 26th 2023 will receive a full refund. Please contact us by email. We will not be able to refund any withdrawn stories after the closing date and time of midnight (BST) April 26th 2023.
- Entry implies an acceptance of all the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize rules. Entries that fail to comply with the entry rules and requirements may be disqualified.