Unbound launches £5,000 short story prize

Crowdfunding publisher Unbound has launched a "major" new £5,000 short story prize in celebration of its fifth birthday.

With a total prize fund of £5,000, the Unbound Short Story Competition is open to writers in any genre, from any country. The top 20 stories, selected by the Unbound editorial team, will be published in a special anthology with the author of each featured story receiving a cash prize.

First prize is £2,000 plus a book deal with Unbound. Second prize is £800, third prize is £500 and the remaining shortlisted authors will receive £100 each.

Scott Pack, associate editor and the prize co-ordinator, said: “We have been talking about setting up a short story prize for some time and Unbound's fifth birthday seems the ideal moment to celebrate the short story form in this way. I love the fact that the entry fee is a pledge for the book, so everyone who takes part will have a copy of the prize anthology.”

John Mitchinson, Unbound co-founder and publisher, said: “It’s been a fantastic five years for Unbound. We’ve achieved far beyond what we expected when we first came up with the idea in a Soho pub. We’ve had an international bestseller with Letters of Note and critical acclaim with The Wake, but what we’re most proud of is giving voice to a whole range of new writers; people who are finding it harder and harder to carve out a space within the traditional publishing industry for their work.”

Entry costs £25, which goes towards the production of the prize anthology. Each entrant will receive a copy of the finished book. Entrants will also be able to pledge for additional rewards, including one-to-one feedback on their stories with an Unbound editor.