Prizes are open from 14th February to 31st July 2022

Guidelines

  • The £100 prize is for a SHORT STORY on the theme of ‘THRILLER’ in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped or murdered.
  • Thriller genres can include crime, mystery, historical, sci-fi, cyber, comedy, psychological, spy, suspense, legal, political, satirical and disaster, etc. We are not at this time looking for horror or fantasy stories.
  • For the purposes of this Prize, ‘murder’ does not include incidents where people in general or specific groups of people are the targets or victims, e.g. war, terrorist attacks, hostage situations, sabotage.
  • Where there is any ambiguity, the deciding factor will be whether a female character was targeted or died because she was a woman.
  • The competition is open to authors of any nationality.
  • Submissions can be traditionally published (after Jan 2020), self-published or unpublished.
  • If published, please check with your publisher that they are happy for you to enter this prize.
  • Entries must be in English. Translations are welcome.
  • Entries are strongly welcomed from BAME and working-class writers and those from other under-represented groups.
  • Entries should be 500 – 3500 words maximum, excluding the title and Double-spaced, 12pt
  • Shortlisted authors will be notified in October 2022
  • The shortlist will be announced on November 1st 2022
  • The winner will be announced on November 25th 2021

How to submit

  • Click on the Enter Short Story button below, look for the Short Story entry form and follow the instructions.
  • Upload your story with the title and word count but do not include your name in that document. 
  • Please note that only one Short Story submission is accepted per applicant. If more than one is sent by the same author, the first will be accepted and any further submissions will be discounted. You can, however, also enter the Staunch Flash Fiction competition.
  • If you have any questions about the prize or how to enter, get in touch via the CONTACT page or at info@staunchbookprize.com
  • By submitting work for the Prize you are agreeing that ALL criteria have been met and you have accepted these terms and conditions.
  • You are also agreeing that we may contact you and add your name to our database to keep you informed about the Prize. Your details will never be shared or sold to third parties.
  • Any entry failing to meet the criteria will be disqualified.

Entries are £10. Only one entry per person permitted. However, you are also welcome to enter the Short Story Prize

Staunch

Short Story Prize

This is a competition for writers INSPIRED by the Staunch criteria!

Whether you have a story published or self-published since 2022, an existing unpublished piece or love the challenge of writing a new thriller short story in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped or murdered, this is for you!

3500 words maximum.

Go to Flash Fiction Prize