Short Story Competition - Anthology Creative Awards

Established to recognise and encourage creative writing and provide a platform for publication, the Anthology Short Story Competition is open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. There is no restriction on theme or style. Stories submitted must not exceed the maximum of 1,500 words. Writers can submit as many entries as they wish. Each submission will require a separate entry form and is subject to a separate entry fee.

It is not a requirement, but is advisable to refer to Anthology magazine or purchase a copy before submitting your work, so that you can see the type of material we publish. Subscriptions and single print copies are available to purchase through our online shop.

Anthology is now available in digital format
Purchase Volume 25 Digital here to read the winning story from the Anthology Short Story Competition 2025.
Purchase Volume 23 Digital here to read the winning story from the Anthology Short Story Competition 2024.
Purchase Volume 21 Digital here to read the winning story from the Anthology Short Story Competition 2023

Prizes

FIRST: The winner will receive €1,000 and the winning story will be published in a future issue of Anthology.
SECOND: €250
THIRD: €150

Anthology has partnered with Reedsy Learning to provide the following prizes:

Winner: one-year Reedsy Learning membership (including all masterclasses and conferences)
Shortlist: one live craft masterclass of choice
All entrants: exclusive 10% membership discount

Submission deadline and entry fees

Very Early Bird Fee €12: 1 Aug – 31 Oct 2026
Early Bird Fee €15: 1 Nov 2026 – 31 Jan 2027
Standard Fee €18: 1 Feb – 30 Aug 2027

Contact admin@anthology-magazine.com for information on group entry fees.

How to enter

The competition may be entered online or by mail

Online Entries

Click ‘Submit a Short Story‘ below.
Fill in your details and upload your story.
Click ‘Submit‘ and complete payment.

Terms and Conditions are outlined below.

Submit a Short Story

Postal Entries

Complete entry form, which can be downloaded at this LINK
Submission Address
Mail entries to: Anthology Publishing, 1 Willow Court, Dooradoyle, Limerick, V94 C9XV, Ireland
Make cheques/bank drafts payable to: Anthology Publishing. Note: Postal orders not accepted from outside Ireland.
Payment for postal entries can also be made through Paypal at advertising@anthology-magazine.com. Reciept/transaction ID must accompany the submission.
All payments must be in EUR (Euro) to avoid conversion fees.
Entries will be confirmed by email.
Single-sided printing only.
Copies of entries should be retained as scripts will not be returned.

If you experience any difficulties submitting your entry, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us: admin@anthology-magazine.com. We’re here to assist you.

Terms and Conditions

Eligibility & Submission Requirements

Open to all ages; no restrictions on theme or style.
Submit original, unpublished works in English (max 1,500 words). Adapted, revised or otherwise reworked versions of previously published material are not eligible for entry.
Multiple entries permitted; each requires a separate form and fee.
Simultaneous submissions allowed, but withdraw if accepted for publication elsewhere.
The use of Generative AI is not permitted for entries to the competition.

Formatting Guidelines (To avoid disqualification, these guidelines must be adhered to)

File type: PDF or Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx).
Font: Arial or Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 or double-spaced.
No cover/title pages: Do not add cover/title pages to the document
Title: The title of the story is to be placed at the top of the first page.
Word Count: Include word count on the top right of the first page.
Anonymity: Do not include your name in the document, file name, or body of the story.

Judging & Prizes

Judged anonymously on literary merit, originality, and readability.
As this is an annual competition entrants will be notified of the results in early 2027. Entrants will be notified of when winners are chosen via email.
Prize money paid upon publication in Anthology.
The author retains copyright, but Anthology reserves the right to first publication or broadcast of the winning story and to use it for award publicity.

Fees & Administration

In order to minimise administrative costs and maintain affordable fees, please note that entry fees are non-refundable.
Stories cannot be altered or substituted once they have been entered.
Anthology reserves the right to amend competition schedules.

**Submission implies acceptance of all terms**

Previous Short Story Competition winners

2025 Winner: ‘The Unfinished Portrait’ by Brandy Fournier
2024 Winner: ‘Nasima’ Lara C Caldwell
2023 Winner: ‘Hang Ten’ by Louise Rimmer-Williams
2022 Winner: ‘Braveheart’ by Robin Barker
2021 Winner: ‘Scenes From a Return Journey’ by Julian Vignoles
2020 Winner: ‘Islands’ by Niamh Donnellan

**The Anthology Short Story Competition is listed with:**

Anthology Short Story Competition

First prize of €1,000 and the winning story published in Anthology magazine. Entries are now invited