The BBC National Short Story Award, now in its sixth year, launches today with new dates for 2011. The Award is one of the most prestigious for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000. The runner-up receives £3,000 and three further shortlisted authors £500 each. The 2011 judging panel will be chaired by broadcaster and writer Sue MacGregor.
This year, for the first time, the BBC National Short Story Award will accept electronic entries by email. The Award is now open for submissions from publishers, agents and published authors from the UK. The closing date for entries is Thursday 5 May 2011 at 5pm.
The Award is moving forward by two months in 2011 from November to September to coincide with Books on the BBC 2011 – a major season of programmes focusing on literature. The shortlist will be announced on Friday 9 September with each of the five stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4 the following week. The winner will be announced on Monday 26 September. The five stories will also be published in a special anthology and be available for free audio download.
Key dates:
• The shortlist will be announced live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row programme at 7.15pm on Friday 9 September, with interviews with each of the shortlisted writers on Front Row from Friday 9 to Thursday 15 September.
• The shortlisted stories will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 daily at 3.30pm from Monday 12 September to Friday 16 September.
• The final announcement of the Award winner and runner-up will be broadcast live from the award ceremony on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row programme at 7.15pm on Monday 26 September.
James Lasdun secured the inaugural Award for ‘An Anxious Man’; last year the poet and translator David Constantine won for his story ‘Tea at the Midland’. Julian Gough, Clare Wigfall and Kate Clanchy have also carried off the award with other authors shortlisted in previous years including Jon McGregor, Jackie Kay, William Trevor, Rose Tremain, Naomi Alderman and Lionel Shriver.
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