Writer and film-maker Vilsoni Hereniko from Rotuma, Fiji, will chair an international panel of judges for the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the world’s most global literary prize. Entries are now open and will be accepted up to November 1, 2024. Previous winners include Ingrid Persaud, Kevin Jared Hosein, Kanya D’Almeida, Rémy Ngamije, and Mary Rokonadravu. Vilsoni’s fellow judges, drawn from the five regions of the Commonwealth, are: Cameroonian author, poet and scholar Nsah Mala (Africa); Malaysian writer and 2019 Asia regional winner Saras Manickam (Asia); Nigerian-British author Irenosen Okojie (Canada and Europe); writer, editor and stand-up comic Lisa Allen-Agostini from Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean); and poet, actor, musician and writer Apirana Taylor from Aotearoa/New Zealand (Pacific).
Hereniko said, ‘I was an undergraduate at the University of the South Pacific when the first short story I ever wrote was published in an anthology for students studying Literature at secondary schools in Fiji. Five decades later, I still remember the thrill of that first experience of writing. A great story illuminates some aspect of the human condition, it entertains, and it enriches our lives. I urge anyone thinking about participating in this competition to go ahead, especially if you have never written a short story before. Write from your heart—you might surprise yourself!’

Prize now open for entries
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is now open and will be accepting entries until 1 November 2024. The competition is administered by the Commonwealth Foundation. It is open to citizens of all Commonwealth countries aged 18 and over and is free to enter. Now in its 13th year, the prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000-5,000 words). The five regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £5,000.
In addition to English, submissions are accepted in Bengali, Chinese, Creole, French, Greek, Malay, Maltese, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, Tamil, and Turkish. Stories that have been translated into English from any language are also accepted and the translator of any story that wins (regional or overall) also receives prize money.
The five regional winning stories are published online by the literary magazine Granta and in a special print collection from Paper + Ink. The shortlisted stories are published in the Foundation’s online literary magazine adda. The prize has a growing reputation for discovering and elevating new talent and offers a unique opportunity to unpublished writers alongside more established practitioners. Past winners of the prize have gone on to win other literary competitions and secure agents and book deals.
Last year’s overall winner, Indian writer Sanjana Thakur, had this to say to potential entrants: “The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is such an incredible opportunity — not only to put your writing on the world stage, but also to join a supportive international literary community. I’m so grateful to the prize for introducing me to so many incredible writers from so many different places, and for affirming my own ambition and desire to tell stories. To anyone who wants to tell stories: submit to the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Whether or not you win, you will have written a story, you will enjoy the journey, and you will gain entry to a wonderful group of readers, writers, and people.”
Those interested in applying can find out more about eligibility, rules, and the submission process at: https://commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize.