| BBC National Short Story Award | |
| Awarded For: | Best short story by a UK national or resident |
| Sponsor: | BBC Radio 4 with Cambridge University |
| Presenter: | BBC (formerly National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Former Name: | National Short Story Award (2006–2007) |
| Network: | BBC Radio 4 |
| Holder: | Comorbidities, Naomi Wood (2023) |
| Year: | 2006 |
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 [awards] for a single short story"[1] and the richest prize in the world for a single short story. It is an annual short story contest in the United Kingdom which is open to UK residents and nationals. As of 2017, the winner receives and four shortlisted writers receive each.
The BBC National Short Story Award is an annual short story contest in the United Kingdom which is open to UK residents and nationals.[2] [3] It aims to increase interest in the short story genre, particularly British short stories. To be eligible for consideration works must be published by a UK resident or national. As of 2017, the winner receives and four shortlisted writers receive each.[4] [5] The award has been described as "one of the most prestigious [awards] for a single short story" and the richest prize in the world for a single short story.[6] However, the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award is greater, at .[7]
It was founded in 2005 and announced at the Edinburgh International Book Festival the same year.[8] The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) were the main sponsor, with support from BBC Radio 4 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".
See main article: List of BBC National Short Story Award winners. In 2009, only women were featured on the shortlist.[9] This happened for the second time in 2013 and the fifth time in 2018.[10] [11] In 2018, prize judge Di Speirs noted that the BBC National Short Story Award has never had an all-male shortlist.[12] Short stories written by women typically account for between 50 and 70 per cent of all submissions.[13]
At 26 years of age, Canadian writer D. W. Wilson became the youngest ever recipient of the award in 2011.[14] [15] In 2020, Sarah Hall, who won the award in 2013 and 2020, became the first writer to have won the award twice.[16] In 2012, in honour of the 2012 Summer Olympics hosted in London, the competition was open to a global audience for one year only.[17] Ten stories were shortlisted, instead of five, and Bulgarian writer Miroslav Penkov won.[18]
In 2007, BBC Radio 4 chose not to broadcast the short story "Weddings and Beheadings" by Hanif Kureishi after a militant group claimed to have executed the BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston.[19] Kureishi argued that this was an act of censorship by the BBC.