The London Short Story Prize seeks to discover, profile and publish the best short stories and writers coming out of the capital. Now open for its seventh year, Spread the Word is excited to be running the Prize again to platform London’s most talented short story writers.
The winner of the London Short Story Prize 2019 will receive £1000 their short story will be published in Open Pen London. Two highly commended writers will each receive £250. The longlist will be published in the London Short Story Prize 2019 Anthology, which will be launched in April 2020.
We are offering 50 free entries to writers on low-incomes who are not earning the London living wage, are in receipt of benefits and/or receipt of disability allowance, have no income or are on zero hours contracts. If you feel you are on a low income but your situation is not described above, please still apply and let us know what your circumstances are. We won’t ask for documentation to prove your eligibility, but we may conduct spot checks later in the Prize.
To apply for this offer please e-mail [email protected] with your name, postcode and a short paragraph on why you are eligible for a free entry. If accepted you will be given a private Submittable link and will have until 5pm on 7 October (same as the general submissions guidelines) to submit your story into the competition. There is no deadline to apply for a free entry, but we recommend applying earlier as they will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
Please note, if successful you can only submit one free entry per writer into the competition. Additional stories will need to submitted via the general entry and will cost £10 per entry. The London Short Story Prize is for London-based writers only.
Do make sure you read the London Short Story Prize 2019 Rules before you submit.
If you have any further questions, please check out our the London Short Story Prize 2019 FAQs
If you can’t find the answer to your question, then do get in touch.
We’re looking forward to receiving your stories!
Published 14 June 2019