| BBC National Short Story Award | |
| Awarded For: | Best short story by a UK national or resident |
| Sponsor: | BBC Radio 4 with Cambridge University |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Presenter: | BBC (formerly National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) |
| Former Name: | National Short Story Award (2006–2007) |
| Holder: | Comorbidities, Naomi Wood (2023) |
| Network: | BBC Radio 4 |
| Year: | 2006 |
The BBC National Short Story Award (known as the National Short Story Award in 2006 and 2007) is an annual short story contest in the United Kingdom which is open to UK residents and nationals. It 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.[2] The award aims to increase interest in the short story genre, particularly British short stories. As of 2017, the winner receives and four shortlisted writers receive each.[3]
It was founded in 2005 and announced at the Edinburgh International Book Festival the same year.[4] 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'.
In 2009, only women were featured on the shortlist.[5] This happened for the second time in 2013 and the fifth time in 2018.[6] [7] In 2018, prize judge Di Speirs noted that the BBC National Short Story Award has never had an all-male shortlist.[8] Short stories written by women typically account for between 50 and 70% of all submissions.[9]
At 26 years old, Canadian writer D. W. Wilson became the youngest ever recipient of the award in 2011.[10] [11] In 2020, Sarah Hall, who won the award in 2013 and 2020, became the first writer to have won the award twice.[12] In 2012, in honour of the 2012 Summer Olympics hosted in London, the competition was open to a global audience for one year only.[13] Ten stories were shortlisted, instead of five, and Bulgarian writer Miroslav Penkov won.[14]
| Author | scope=col | Title | scope=col | Result | scope=col class="unsortable" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2006 | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [15] | ||
| data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | |||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Men of Ireland | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2007 | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [16] | ||
| Slog's Dad | data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| How to Get Away with Suicide | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Weddings and Beheadings | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2008 | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | |||
| data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | |||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Surge | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Guidelines for Measures to Cope with Disgraceful and Other Events | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2009 | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [17] | ||
| Moss Witch | data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | ||||
| Hitting Trees with Sticks | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Exchange Rates | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Other People's Gods | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist |
| Author | scope=col | Title | scope=col | Result | scope=col class="unsortable" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2010 | Tea at the Midland | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [18] | |
| If It Keeps on Raining | data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | ||||
| My Daughter the Racist | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Butcher's Perfume | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Haywards Heath | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2011 | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [19] [20] | ||
| Wires | data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Rag Love | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="10" | 2012 | East of the West | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [21] [22] | |
| Sanctuary | data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Before He Left the Family | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| In the Basement | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Black Vodka | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Even Pretty Eyes Commit Crimes | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Escape Routes | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2013 | Mrs Fox | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [23] [24] | |
| Notes from the House Spirits | data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | ||||
| We Are Watching Something Terrible Happening | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | [25] | |||
| Prepositions | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Barmouth | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2014 | Kilifi Creek | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [26] [27] | |
| Miss Adele Amidst the Corsets | data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Bad Dreams | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2015 | Briar Road | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [28] | |
| Bunny | data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | [29] | |||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Do It Now, Jump the Table | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Broderie Anglaise | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2016 | Disappearances | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [30] [31] | |
| Morning, Noon & Night | data-sort-value="2" | Runner up | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Garments | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| In a Right State | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2017 | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [32] [33] | ||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Murmur | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| If a Book Is Locked There's Probably a Good Reason for That, Don't You Think? | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2018 | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [34] | ||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Van Rensburg's Card | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Sudden Traveller | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| To Belong To | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2019 | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [35] | ||
| Ghillie's Mum | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| My Beautiful Millennial | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Silver Fish in the Midnight Sea | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist |
| Author | scope=col | Title | scope=col | Result | scope=col class="unsortable" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2020 | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [36] [37] | ||
| Scrimshaw | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Come Down Heavy | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| In the Car With the Rain Coming Down | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Pray | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2021 | All the People Were Mean and Bad | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [38] [39] | |
| Toadstone | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Night Train | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Maykopsky District, Adyghe Oblast | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2022 | Blue 4eva | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [40] | |
| And the Moon Descends on the Temple That Was | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Flat 19 | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Green Afternoon | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Long Way to Come for a Sip of Water | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2023 | Comorbidities | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [41] | |
| Guests | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| It's Me | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Churail | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| scope=rowgroup rowspan="5" | 2024 | Ghost Kitchen | data-sort-value="1" | Winner | [42] [43] | |
| data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | |||||
| Hamlet, a love story | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Pieces | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist | ||||
| Nice Dog | data-sort-value="3" | Shortlist |