Commonwealth 2023 Short Story Prize

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is a yearly honor for unpublished short stories. It’s managed and supported by the Commonwealth Foundation. This prize is open to writers from various Commonwealth regions: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Each region has its own judge, and together they make up the international judging panel.

Although entries are judged regionally, all judges will assess entries from all regions. There will be five winners, one from each region. Among them, one regional winner will be chosen as the overall winner. The overall winner gets £5,000, while the other four regional winners receive £2,500 each. If the winning story is a translation into English, the translator also gets a prize.

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) manages the primary UK government scholarship program with a focus on international development goals. Sponsored by the Department for International Development (DFID), CSC is an independent public body. It operates under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) and reflects the UK’s ongoing dedication to the Commonwealth.

Requirements and eligibility criteria for the Commonwealth 2023 Short Story Prize:

Must be citizens of a Commonwealth country or stateless persons residing in a Commonwealth country.
Commonwealth Foundation will verify citizenship status.
Entries from non-Commonwealth citizens are not accepted.
Entries are judged by the writer’s country of citizenship.
Dual citizenship entries are judged where the writer is permanently resident.
No current residence requirement, only citizenship.
Entrants must be 18 years or older by November 1, 2023.
Eligibility is determined by the Commonwealth Foundation; the chair’s decision on eligibility is final.
Previous overall winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize are ineligible.
Entrants who have won the regional prize three times are not eligible.
Current Commonwealth Foundation staff cannot enter.
Entries must be unpublished and remain so until May 1, 2024.
Shortlisted or prize-winning entries in other competitions are eligible if unpublished.

Application Procedure for Commonwealth 2023 Short Story Prize (How to apply);

Interested applicants should fill out the online application.

Application Deadline: November 2, 2023

For more information visit the official website

Commonwealth 2023 Short Story Prize