BBC International Short Story Award 2012 BBC International Short Story Award 2012

For one year only, an Award established to recognise and foster talent within the UK will seek to reflect the enormous richness and versatility of the short story internationally and to highlight exceptional talent from around the world. The BBC International Short Story Award 2012 is now open to writers writing in English anywhere in the world who have been published in the UK.

To reflect the global breadth and ambitions of the 2012 award the shortlist will comprise ten short stories rather than the usual five, each of which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over two weeks, providing a unique showcase for ten great writers in the run-up to the winner being announced live on Radio 4's Front Row.

The Award is now well established as one of the most prestigious for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000. Entries can be submitted until Monday 27 February 2012 at 5pm (GMT).

The Judging Panel

The full judging panel is: Clive Anderson (chair), Anjali Joseph, Ross Raisin, Michèle Roberts and Di Speirs.

Find out more about the judges and what they are looking for in the winning entries at the Booktrust website

The chair of the panel, broadcaster and comedy writer Clive Anderson has this to say:

'I am very much looking forward to chairing the judging process for the BBC International Short Story Award 2012. Given the popularity nowadays of the Tweet compared to the full length letter, the YouTube clip compared to the box set and a sound bite rather than a long-winded speech, the short story ought to be taking the literary world by storm. A great short story can combine the structure of a good joke with the impact of a miniature masterpiece. I shall enjoy trying to choose between what I expect to be a competitive and entertaining field.'

More about the BBC International Short Story Award

The winning story in 2011 was 'The Dead Roads, by DW Wilson, who said 'The BBC short story prize couldn't have come at a better time in my career; it was the push I needed to get my work noticed. More than that, though, it was the little things that tagged along that made the whole experience so rewarding: hearing my story read on radio, pats on the back from authors whose work I've read and admired; and that very rare and quintessential gift for a writer - reassurance that we might just be doing something right.'

The BBC International Short Story Award, managed in partnership with Booktrust (http://www.booktrust.org.uk), continues to serve as a reminder of the power of the short story and to celebrate a literary form that is proving ever more versatile in the twenty-first century. The genre is enjoyed not just on the page, on air and increasingly on every sort of screen, but also in flash fiction events, short story festivals and slams. The short story has moved beyond the revival of recent years and is now experiencing a golden age.

The ambition of the Award is to expand opportunities for writers, readers and publishers of the short story. James Lasdun secured the inaugural Award for 'An Anxious Man'. The range of talent and experience, style and subject matter garnered each year is reflected in the names of the previous winners, Julian Gough, Clare Wigfall, Kate Clanchy and David Constantine and those of the short-listed authors, who include Jon McGregor, Jackie Kay, William Trevor, Rose Tremain, Sarah Hall, MJ Hyland, Naomi Alderman and Lionel Shriver.

Full entry details can be found on the Booktrust website (www.booktrust.org.uk/bbcissa)

Follow the BBC International Short Story Award 2012 on Twitter: #BBCISSA