Deadline: June 30, 2022
Entry fee: €15
About the competition
The Moth Short Story Prize is an international prize, open to anyone from anywhere in the world as long as their story is original and previously unpublished. The winners are chosen by a single judge each year, who reads the stories anonymously.
‘A total pleasure judging this. This was an exceptional set of stories.’ Ali Smith, 2021 judge
‘The Moth Short Story Prize is hugely important to me. Short stories give writers and readers the opportunity to experiment with all kinds of approaches and effects that might not work over the sustained length of a novel, and sometimes to talk about things that we might not be able to approach in any other way. The Moth is a fantastic champion of that.’ Owen Booth, 2020 winner
‘To see my story in a publication that has done as much for writers as The Moth is the most astounding and unexpected affirmation I could have imagined.’ Conor Crummey, 2019 winner
‘This seal of approval is superglue for the sanity! I am mighty grateful.’ Caoilinn Hughes, 2018 winner
Previous judges include Mike McCormack, Belinda McKeon, Donal Ryan, Kit de Waal, Kevin Barry, Mark Haddon and Ali Smith.
Submission guideline
- The Prize is open to anyone (over 16), as long as the work is original and previously unpublished.
- There is a word limit of 4,000.
- The entry fee is €15 per story.
- You can ENTER ONLINE or send your story along with a cheque or postal order made payable to ‘The Moth Magazine Ltd.’ with an ENTRY FORM or a cover letter with your name and contact details and the title of your story (or stories) attached to: The Moth, Ardan Grange, Milltown, Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland H14 K768.
- Please note: If you are at all concerned about the formatting of your story online, please send a copy of the story (or stories) in a word doc to [email protected], along with your entry number. Payment can be made via PayPal to [email protected].
- Please remember to read the rules of the competition before you enter.
- CLOSING DATE 30 JUNE 2022
- The winners will be announced in September 2022 and all three stories will appear in the autumn issue of The Moth.
- With thanks to Circle of Misse (www.circleofmisse.com) for the superb second prize of a week-long writing retreat in France and a travel stipend of €250. Their house rests on the banks of the Thouet River (a tributary of the Loire), ‘thouet’ being the ancient Gallic word for ‘tranquil’.
- Call 00 353 87 2657251 or email [email protected] for more details
