Dear Writers and Readers,
We have news to share on the future of the Bristol Short Story Prize.
We are in advanced discussions with a Bristol-based organisation steeped in creative writing and literary culture who will, hopefully, become the official new home of a revamped Bristol Short Story Prize later this year. They have the resources and scope to build and develop BSSP and take the competition forward.
We will share more news in the coming months but do pencil in autumn 2024 (spring 2024 southern hemisphere) as a provisional date for the launch of the next BSSP.
Meanwhile, to mark the start of a new phase for BSSP and to celebrate the first 16 years of the competition, we are putting together an anthology of the 16 BSSP winning stories which will be published in May. Proceeds from sales of the anthology will go to charity organisations.
We will share more news as and when details are confirmed.
The 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize was won by Abhishek Sengupta (above) for his story, Things to Do on the Eve of Your Killing. To find out more about Abhishek’s win and his writing, here’s a fascinating interview with him.
Marie Gethins won second prize and Keza O’Neill won third prize. The top 3 stories plus the other 17 on the 2023 shortlist are available now in our brilliant new Volume 16 anthology which can be ordered from our publisher, Tangent Books. It is also available to order from bookshops and online outlets.
Keza O’Neill also won the 2023 Sansom Award for Bristol writers with her story, Lucky Strike.
To find out what some of our past winners and shortlisted writers have gone on to achieve, please visit the Success Stories section of the website.