Please ensure you have read all the rules prior to entering. Entry implies an acceptance of all the Bristol Short Story Prize 2026 rules. Entries that fail to comply with the entry rules and requirements may be disqualified.
1. Deadline
The closing date for receipt of entries is 31 January 2026 at 23:59 BST.
2. Who can enter
The 2026 Bristol Short Story Prize is open to all published and unpublished writers.
Entrants must be over 16 years old on the closing date, 31 January 2026.
There is no geographical restriction on entry – the 2026 Bristol Short Story Prize is open to everyone, whether they are based in the UK or outside the UK.
Employees and students of the University of Bristol are ineligible to submit.
3. General guidelines
Submissions must not exceed 4000 words not including the title. Headings, subheadings, and character names used to indicateperspective shifts are included in the word count. Submissions over 4000 words (ie. 4001 words or more) will not be considered for the prize.
There is no minimum length for submissions.
Entries must be in English.
Entries must be in a clear 12-14 point font (ie. Times New Roman, Arial, Comic Sans).
Entries must be double spaced.
Entrants’ names and contact details should only appear on the entry form. The stories themselves must be free of all personal information about the author.
Entries must never have been previously published, in print or online (including self-published, eBook, magazines, journals, websites, blogs, social network sites).
Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant. Any entry found to have been plagiarised will be disqualified.
Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant. Entries generated or co-created using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including but not limited to text generators or image creators, are strictly prohibited and will be disqualified.
Entries must never have been broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition on or before 1 July 2026.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please let us know as soon as possible if a story is to be published elsewhere.
Entries can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-based (e.g. Crime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Romance, Children’s, etc.).
Entrants may enter as many stories as they like.
No corrections or alterations can be made after receipt of an entry.
4. Online entries
Entries can be made online or by post. Low-income/free entries are only available online.
Online entries should be registered or paid for via the UOB online shop. All entries must be appropriately registered (including free entries) in order to be considered for the prize.
Once registered, entries should be uploaded via the online entry facility (which is signposted in the UoB Online shop payment process) in doc or docx format. If you do not have a Google account to upload, please see our FAQs for further instructions on how to submit.
Online entries will be acknowledged via an on-screen confirmation page only. If an entrant does not see a confirmation page for their online entry, they are welcome to contact the Bristol Short Story Prize to confirm their entry has been received.
5. Postal entries
Please note: low-income/free entries are only available online.
Postal entries can be paid for online or with a £14 cheque for the entry fee made out to the University of Bristol. Cash is not accepted.
Postal entries will only be accepted as printed typescripts.
Please list your name, address, story title, word count, and a statement that you have read and accept the rules of the Bristol Short Story Prize 2026 on a separate sheet of paper; there should be no identifying information on the story itself.
Please send postal entry/entries to: Bristol Short Story Prize, University of Bristol, 3-5 Woodland Road, Bristol BS9 2BN
Entries will not be returned. Please keep a copy. No corrections or alterations can be made after receipt of an entry.
If entrants require acknowledgement of receipt of a postal entry, they must enclose a stamped addressed postcard marked ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
6. Sponsored entry
There are 250 free online entries available to those for whom the entry fee is a barrier to submission – for instance, those on low income or without paid employment. Those wishing to enter using the free entry option may do so via our online entry facility.
Only one free entry per person. Entrants found attempting to abuse the free entry system, such as submitting multiple free entries under different aliases, will be automatically disqualified.
If you are using a free entry option and would like to submit more than one story, you will need to pay for any additional stories.
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.
If all free entries have been claimed for a particular month, they will not appear as an option in the online entry portal.
7. Readers and judging
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.
Entries will be read by our readers who will select a longlist of 30 stories for the judging panel. The judging panel will select the 15 stories to be published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 18 and the top 3 prize winning stories for the 2026 Bristol Short Story Prize.
The judges’ decision is final, and no individual correspondence will be entered into. Judges and readers will not comment on individual stories or give feedback on individual stories.
8. Long list and short list
Entrants will not be contacted individually about the competition results unless they are selected for the shortlist.
The 2026 Bristol Short Story Prize longlist and shortlist will be announced on the Bristol Short Story Prize website and BSSP Social channels. Winners will be announced at the University of Bristol Writers’ Day.
The Bristol Short Story Prize longlist of 30 stories will be posted on the Bristol Short Story Prize website in early Spring 2026.
The 2026 Bristol Short Story Prize shortlist of 15 stories will be posted on the Bristol Short Story Prize website in late Spring 2026.
The top 3 prize winners of the Bristol Short Story Prize will be displayed on the website within one week after the awards ceremony at Writers’ Day at the University of Bristol in Summer 2026.
9. Publishing rights
All entrants agree to have their work published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 18, in both print and eBook formats, should they be the author of one of the 15 shortlisted stories.
Authors will retain worldwide copyright on their work (including film, broadcast and dramatic rights), while the Bristol Short Story Prize has first publication rights to publish the 15 shortlisted stories in the Bristol Short Story Prize anthology.
Entries 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 1 July 2026.
Once notified that they have been selected for the Bristol Short Story Prize shortlist and will be published in Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 18, all shortlisted writers must confirm 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 1 July 2026.
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 1 July 2026.
10. Prizes
Each of the shortlisted authors will receive one free copy of the paperback version of Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology.
Prizes for 2026 are: 1st prize £1500, 2nd prize £500, 3rd prize £250. Each of the 12 remaining shortlisted writers will receive £50.
All prizes will be awarded at the University of Bristol’s annual Writers’ Day in Summer 2026, and will be sent to any of the writers who are unable to attend the awards ceremony. Prizes, including the free copy of the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology as well as cash prizes, are not dependent on winners attending the Writers’ Day.
Entry implies an acceptance of all the Bristol Short Story Prize 2026 rules. Entries that fail to comply with the entry rules and requirements may be disqualified.