BPA Short Story Award

The BPA Short Story Award is a competition created to discover emerging voices. Short stories are often a gateway to novel writing, and agents are always looking for exciting new talent.

The BPA Short Story award

The Short Story Award is open to unrepresented writers anywhere in the world. All you need is a complete short story up to 2,500 words.

Prize: cash + agent introduction, 1st Prize £1,000 + agent introduction, 2nd Prize £300, 3rd Prize £100

This years judges are literary agent, Corissa Hollenbeck, at Janklow & Nesbitt, and writer, Sussie Anie.

Submission:

Short story of up to 2,500 words

Online entry via BPA website

Cost of Entry: £20

Timetable:

Entries Open: 15 June, 2026
Entries Close: 13 September, 2026

Winners Announced: 18 November 2026

Prize: cash + agent introduction, 1st Prize £500 + agent introduction, 2nd Prize £250, 3rd Prize £100

Before entering, please ensure you familiarise yourself with the Rules, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policies. Entering the BPA Short Story Award is taken as your full agreement.

eligibility

Authors must be over 18 years old at the time of entry.
The writing competition is open to unrepresented and unpublished authors of fiction at the closing date of 13 September, 2026.
Writers must advise the organisers if they accept representation during the judging period or win any other prizes. They may still be eligible for the Award.
Self-published authors are accepted. Entrants who have had other types of books published such as non fiction, memoir or poetry are also eligible.
The short story must be completed at the closing date of 13 September, 2026.
Long-listed or short-listed entries in other writing competitions are eligible.
Entrants may submit more than one short story but as separate entries.
We are based in the UK but the competitions are international. Entries must be written in English.
Entries can only be submitted electronically online via this site and payment made via Paypal.
Entrants may withdraw entries but fees cannot be refunded.
Judges’ decision is final. Judges are unable to comment on individual entries.

Who can enter?

We welcome short stories from writers of any nationality, writing in English, who are aged 16 or over at the closing date.
Your work, your words Your entry must be entirely your own original work. Submissions found to be otherwise will unfortunately be disqualified.
Previously published or placed work Your story must not have been previously published in any form — including online, on blogs, or in forums — broadcast, or have won or been placed in another competition (including 2nd, 3rd, runner-up, or similar). However, if your story has been longlisted or shortlisted elsewhere without winning a prize or being published, it is still very welcome here.
Simultaneous submissions You're free to submit your story to other competitions at the same time, but please note that if it wins a prize, is published, or is scheduled for publication elsewhere before our prize-giving date, it will become ineligible. Entry fees are non-refundable in this instance.
Keeping us in the loop If your entry is published or wins a prize elsewhere, please let us know straight away.
Use of AI - work that has been produced, enhanced or edited by any AI creation tool is ineligible. Use of AI is restricted to basic spelling and grammar checks only.
Posthumous submissions We're unable to accept entries submitted posthumously.

What we’re looking for:

any genre with the exception of children’s fiction and non-fiction. YA is permitted provided there is an adult crossover.
a strong voice.
the makings of an original and compelling story.
an attention grabbing first paragraph.

Assistance to writers on low incomes or from under-represented backgrounds

We’re offering a minimum of 20 free entries for UK based writers on low incomes or from communities currently under-represented in publishing.

Applications will be reviewed and the most promising submissions will be selected by the BPA team.

Please click here to Contact BPA with your application and, if relevant, proof of financial eligibility such as: Jobseeker’s Allowance; Disability Benefit; Income Support; Working Tax Credit; Child Tax Credit; proof of being a full-time student; Housing Benefit; proof of being a full-time carer.

All details will be kept confidential.