| Commonwealth Short Story Prize | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | Best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000 – 5,000 words) |
| Location | Commonwealth countries |
| Presented by | Commonwealth Writers |
| First awarded | 2012 |
| Website | commonwealthfoundation.com |
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000 to 5,000 words). The prize is open to citizens of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations aged 18 and over. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is managed by the Commonwealth Foundation, and was set up in 2012 to inspire, develop and connect writers and storytellers across the Commonwealth.[1][2] The Prize replaced the Commonwealth Short Story Competition, a roughly similar competition that existed from 1996 to 2011 and was discontinued by the Commonwealth Foundation, along with the Commonwealth Writers' Prize.[3]
The Prize is open to writers who have had little or no work published and particularly aimed at those places with little or no publishing industry. The prize aims to bring writing from these countries to the attention of an international audience. The stories need to be in English, but can be translated from other languages.
The overall winner receives £5,000 and the regional winner £2,500. During 2012–13, the regional winner received £1,000. Starting in 2014, the award for regional winners of the Short Story Prize was increased to £2,500. At the same time, Commonwealth Writers discontinued the Commonwealth Book Prize and focused solely on the Short Story Prize.[4]
- ^ "About". Commonwealth Writers. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ Foundation, Commonwealth (23 January 2023). "Introducing Commonwealth Foundation Creatives". Commonwealth Foundation. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ "Cassava Republic Press — Commonwealth prizes get face-lift for 25th year". Cassavarepublic.biz. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- ^ Tanya Batson-Savage (15 August 2013). "Commonwealth Writers Snuffs the Book Prize: Focus on Commonwealth Short Story Prize". Susumba. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2015.