The BBC National Short Story Award has launched for its sixth year. The Award is one of the most prestigious for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000.
This year, for the first time, the BBC National Short Story Award will accept electronic entries. The Award is now open for submissions from publishers, agents and published authors from the UK. The closing date for entries is Thursday 5 May 2011 at 5pm.
The Award is moving forward by two months in 2011 from November to September to coincide with Books on the BBC 2011 – a major season of programmes focusing on literature. The five stories will be broadcast on air, published in an anthology and be available for free audio download.
How to enter
Click here to download the entry form (.pdf 88Kb)
This year, for the first time, the BBC National Short Story Award will accept electronic entries by email. Stories must be either in an attachment in Word or PDF format, and emailed to BBCNSSA@booktrust.org.uk, accompanied by a completed entry form as an attachment.
Prize administration
For prize information, please contact the prizes team on 020 8516 2972 or prizes@booktrust.org.uk
ENTRY TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The British Broadcasting Corporation in association with Booktrust
- Award of £15,000 for the winner
- £3,000 for the runner up
- £500 for 3 further shortlisted stories
Submissions for the BBC National Short Story Award 2011 accepted from Friday, 4th March, 2011. DEADLINE for receipt of postal entries is 5pm on Thursday, 5th May 2011.
How to enter
Complete this form and submit it with:
• Eight copies of one short story (maximum length 8,000 words);
• A list of the author’s most recently published work including the publisher, date of publication and ISBN or ISSN;
By post to:
BBC National Short Story Award 2011
c/o Booktrust
Book House
45 East Hill
London
SW18 2QZ
OR email a completed entry form, one copy of your short story and a list of most recently published work to: bbcnssa@booktrust.org.uk (please save your story as ‘BBC NSSA [author’s name]’ eg ‘BBC NSSA William Shakespeare’.)
• Please note that incomplete entry forms will not be eligible for consideration.
1. THE AWARDS
1.1 In order to establish a manageable long list all entries will initially be read by at least two (2) sifters from mixed teams chosen by the BBC and Booktrust. The best stories will be put forward to the judges who will be responsible for compiling a short list of five (5) outstanding short stories submitted for the BBC National Short Story Award 2011 (“the Award”), from which they will select the winning story and runner up.
1.2 The winning award is worth £15,000 and this will be presented to the author of the best, eligible short story in the opinion of the judges.
1.3 There will be a runner up award of £3000 for the second placed story.
1.4 There will be 3 awards of £500 for the other 3 shortlisted stories.
2. ELIGIBILITY
2.1 The Award is open to British nationals and UK residents, aged 18 years or over only. Proof of nationality and/or residency may be requested of shortlisted writers.
2.2 The story must not contain more than eight thousand words.
2.3 Entries may be submitted by the author or by his/her publisher or agent.
2.4 Stories which were previously entered into either the National Short Story Prize 2006 or 2007 or the BBC National Short Story Award 2008, 2009 or 2010 are ineligible.
2.5 Authors only can enter individually, and not as part of a writing team. No more than one story per author may be submitted. It is the responsibility of the author to make sure that there is not more than one of his/her stories submitted in total. If more than one story is submitted, only the first story received will be considered.
2.6 The story entered must either;
2.6.1 be unpublished; or
2.6.2 be first published or scheduled for publication after 1 January 2010.
2.7 The author must have a prior record of publication in creative writing. This means the author must previously have had works of prose fiction, drama or poetry published by a UK publisher (excluding self-publishing) or established printed magazine in the UK or broadcast by a UK national radio station. “Established” here means a periodical that is published regularly (monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly), that has been in circulation for at least the past 12 months, has an ISBN or ISSN number and is not self published. For avoidance of doubt online publishing is also excluded.
2.8 The story submitted must be and by submission of this form is warranted to be original, fictional, and entirely the author’s own work, not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party and not be defamatory of any living person or corporate body and be suitable for broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
2.9 The Award is not open to employees of the BBC, Booktrust or anyone connected with the Award or their direct family members. Proof of identity and eligibility may be requested.
2.10 Entries are limited to stories written in English. Or if written in Gaelic or Welsh must include a translation.
2.11 A short story that was published posthumously will not be eligible for the Award.
3. COPYRIGHT AND TERMS OF USE
3.1 By submitting a story for the Award the entrant hereby acknowledges and agrees that the winning or any other shortlisted story:
3.1.1 may be read out or reproduced in a BBC programme, and broadcast (in whole or in part) (including repeats and trails) on the BBC's publicly funded services which includes its radio services and via the BBC's website and on-line services (including on the BBC’s iPlayer), as well as featured in a BBC podcast available for permanent download; and
3.1.2 will be available for publication on Booktrust’s story campaign website at
www.theshortstory.org.uk free of any fees or royalty payments. Such uses would be subject to a separate agreement between the entrant and the BBC / Booktrust (as applicable), including payment of broadcast fees in accordance with the BBC’s appropriate standard terms and conditions for use of the work. The entrant agrees to accept the BBC's appropriate standard terms and conditions for these uses.
More information here.
