The annual HG Wells Fiction Short Story Competition offers a £500 Senior and £1,000 Junior prize and free publication of all shortlisted entries in a quality, professionally published paperback anthology.

Theme: The Cheat.

ELIGIBILITY:

Entries must be in English.

Double quotation marks should be used for speech and single quotation marks for other appropriate purposes.

The length must be 1,500 to 5,000 words.

Entries to the competition are online only, with entrants submitting their story (as a PDF or text document) and any fee as appropriate via our entry form

All submissions should be the writer’s original work. You should not submit the work of others, either in part or in translation.

The story may not be published, or accepted for publication, elsewhere, including for other publications, by the shortlist announcement date (21st September).

There is a template available below to ensure your story is formatted correctly. You do not have to use it, but if it helps, please do so. However, whether you use the template or not, the pages should be numbered but the entrant’s name should not appear on any page except on the entry form

Proof of age and/or student ID may be required for any entry entered in the Under 22 or at the reduced student price. This proof may be requested by email after the close of entries and prior to the publication of a short list.

There are no entry fees for those aged 21 years and under on Tuesday, 7th July 2026. Over-21s must pay an entry fee of £10, or £5 for those with student IDs. Details for payment are shown on the entry form. Each story must be submitted on a separate entry form and accompanied by a fee where appropriate.

BENEFIT:

For young writers of 21 years and under, for which the prize winner receives £1,000, and a competition for the over 21s, which offers the Senior Prize of £500.