The BBC National Short Story Award (known as the National Short Story Award in 2006 and 2007) has been described as "one of the most prestigious wardsfor a single short story" and the richest prize in the world for a single short story. It is an annual short story contest in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

which is open to UK residents and nationals. As of 2017, the winner receives and four shortlisted writers receive each.

Award and history

The BBC National Short Story Award is an annual short story contest in the

which is open to UK residents and nationals. It aims to increase interest in the

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

genre, particularly

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

short stories. As of 2017, the winner receives and four shortlisted writers receive each. The award has been described as "one of the most prestigious wardsfor a single short story" and the richest prize in the world for a single short story. However, between 2010 and 2021, the ''Sunday Times'' EFG Private Bank Short Story Award was greater, at . It was founded in 2005 and announced at the

Edinburgh International Book Festival The Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) is a book festival that takes place during two weeks in August every year in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. Described as ''The largest festival of its kind in the world'', the festival hosts ...

the same year. The

National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts Nesta (formerly NESTA, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) is a British foundation, registered as a charity, which supports innovation. Nesta was originally funded by a £250 million endowment from the UK National Lotter ...

(NESTA) were the main sponsor, with support from

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

and '' Prospect'' magazine. Originally, winners received while runners up received and shortlisted writers each. In 2008, the BBC became the main sponsor and the award was renamed from the "National Short Story Award" to the "BBC National Short Story Award". To mark the tenth anniversary, in 2015, th
BBC Young Writers' Award
was launched, challenging 14-18-year-olds to write a story of up to 1,000 words. The winner of the Young Writers' Award is announced alongside the National Short Story Award winner.

Winners and shortlisted writers

In 2009, only women were featured on the shortlist. This happened for the second time in 2013 and the fifth time in 2018. In 2018, prize judge Di Speirs noted that the BBC National Short Story Award has never had an all-male shortlist. Short stories written by women typically account for between 50 and 70 percent of all submissions. At 26 years of age, Canadian writer D. W. Wilson became the youngest ever recipient of the award in 2011. In 2020, Sarah Hall, who won the award in 2013 and 2020, became the first writer to have won the award twice. In 2012, in honour of the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

hosted in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, the competition was open to a global audience for one year only. Ten stories were shortlisted, instead of five, and Bulgarian writer Miroslav Penkov won.

Sponsorship

Since 2021 the BBC National Short Story Award has been delivered in partnership with a consortium of colleges and other departments at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, comprising: the School of Arts and Humanities; Faculties of English and Education; University Library; Fitzwilliam Museum; the University of Cambridge Centre for Creative Writing, part of the University of Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education; Robinson College; and Downing College. The partnership is led by Dr Bonnie Lander Johnson and Dr Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills. Previous sponsors and partners of the Award are

First Story First Story is an English charity that encourages children and young people to write creatively, outside the curriculum, for self-expression and pleasure. Its aim is to empower children and young people from low-income communities to find and dev ...

, BookTrust,

NESTA Nesta (formerly NESTA, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) is a British foundation, registered as a charity, which supports innovation. Nesta was originally funded by a £250 million endowment from the UK National Lotter ...

, and '' Prospect'' magazine.

Controversies

In 2007,

chose not to broadcast the short story "Weddings and Beheadings" by

Hanif Kureishi Hanif Kureishi (born 5 December 1954) is a British Pakistani playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, and novelist. He is known for his film '' My Beautiful Laundrette'' and novel '' The Buddha of Suburbia''. Early life and education Hanif Kureish ...

after a militant group claimed to have executed the BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston. Kureishi argued that this was an act of censorship by the BBC.

References

External links

BBC National Short Story Award
{{BBC Radio 4 2005 establishments in the United Kingdom Awards established in 2005 BBC awards British literary awards Short story awards