Enríquez, Moshfegh and Tsao to judge Desperate Literature Prize 2023

The Desparate Literature Short Fiction Prize will be judged by Mariana Enríquez, Ottessa Moshfegh and Tiffany Tsao in 2023. 

Launched in 2017 by Desparate Bookshop in Madrid, the award celebrates innovative English-language fiction under 2,000 words and provides shortlisted writers with a host of development opportunities. The 2022 winner, Jay Gao, published his first collection Imperium with Carcanet last year. 

This year’s prize winner will receive €1,500 (£1,327), a seven-day stay at the Civitella Ranieri artist’s residency in Umbria, Italy, a consultation with literary agent Charlotte Seymour of Johnson & Alcock and a manuscript assessment service of up to 60,000 words through The Literary Consultancy. They will also receive a one-to-one editorial consultancy session with one of TLC’s editors. The winner—along with the rest of the shortlist—will be published in a limited edition offset-print book published by Desperate Literature, have their work put forward for publication to the prize’s partner journals and be invited to read at events in Madrid (Desperate Literature) and London (Burley Fisher Books) in late 2023.

Two runners-up will receive €750 (£664) each, as well as a consultation meeting with Seymour. One additional shortlisted writer will be offered a spot at the Tbilisi International Festival of Literature, along with a seven-day residency at the Writers’ House of Georgia. 

This year’s partner journals are India’s Helter Skelter, Australia’s Kill Your Darlings, and UK publications Hotel, The London Magazine, Prototype, Minor Literature[s] and Open Pen. All partner journals will have the opportunity to publish pieces from the 2023 shortlist.  

In response to the cost of living crisis, Desperate Literature has doubled the number of sponsored entries to the prize. In total 40 fully sponsored entries and 60 reduced-fee entries are available to under-represented writers or writers suffering from financial hardship, while a further package of free sponsored entries have been offered to the London-based writers agency Spread the Word (10), Cipher Press (10), The Word for Diversity (5) and The Georgia Writers’ House of Georgia (3).

The Desparate Literature Prize is now in its sixth year and will close for entries on 15th April 2023.