The 4thWrite prize, an annual short story competition for Black, Asian and minority ethnic writers run by publisher 4th Estate and the Guardian, has opened for submissions. Now in its 10th year, the competition offers a £1,000 prize, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate, and publication of the winning story on the Guardian website. Shortlisted stories will be published on the 4th Estate website. The prize is open to writers aged 18 and over living in the UK or Ireland.
Previous Winners and Success Stories
Last year’s winner was Piyumi Kapugeekiyana for The Original Is Not Here. Several previous longlisted and shortlisted writers have gone on to publish books, including Bolu Babalola (Love in Colour and Honey & Spice), Guy Gunaratne (In Our Mad and Furious City), Kasim Ali (Good Intentions), Gurnaik Johal (We Move), and Kit Fan (Diamond Hill). Past winners include Yan F Zhang for Fleeting Marrow in 2024 and Yian Yi for The Good Son in 2023.
Judging Panel for 2025
This year’s judging panel includes agent Emma Paterson of Aitken Alexander Associates, writer and journalist Chanté Joseph, novelists Sanam Mahloudji and Kamila Shamsie, 4th Estate publishing director Kishani Widyaratna, and Guardian commissioning editor Ella Creamer. Gurnaik Johal, shortlisted for the prize in 2018, joins as a guest judge to mark the anniversary. Johal said being shortlisted began his writing career: “I remember feeling emboldened to take writing seriously when I entered my short story.”
Quotes from Judges
Kamila Shamsie described the award as “an effective spotlight” for emerging writers over the past decade. Kishani Widyaratna called the prize “an essential part of the literary ecosystem.” Chanté Joseph said: “I know firsthand how rare it is to see your story reflected in the publishing landscape, and how much will and motivation it takes to keep pushing when you’re a person of colour in this space. It is such an honour and a privilege to be judging the 4thWrite prize.”
Key Dates and Submission Details
The deadline for submissions is 19 June. The longlist will be announced by 31 August, the shortlist by 30 September, and the winner in October at a ceremony in London. Submissions can be made at www.4thEstate.co.uk/prize, where full terms and conditions are available. Any queries can be sent to 4thWritePrize@harpercollins.co.uk.
