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their story is original and previously unpublished.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. Previous judges include
Mike McCormack, Belinda McKeon, Donal Ryan, Kit de Waal, Kevin Barry and Mark
Haddon.
THE JUDGE The Prize will be
judged this year by Ali Smith, the author of many works of fiction, including
five collections of short stories and, most recently, the seasonal quartet, Autumn,
Winter, Spring and Summer. Her work has won multiple awards.
TESTIMONIALS
‘The Moth Short Story Prize is hugely important to me – coming third in the competition in 2017 was a massive boost to my writing. 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
HOW TO ENTER
The Prize is open to
anyone (over 16), as long as the work is original and previously unpublished.
There is a word limit of 5,000.
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
enquiries@themothmagazine.com, along with your entry number. Payment can be
made via PayPal to enquiries@themothmagazine.com.
The winners will be announced in September 2021 and all three stories will
appear in the autumn issue of The Moth.
With thanks to Circle of Misse 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 enquiries@themothmagazine.com for more details
