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Short story competition terms and conditions

The terms and conditions of entry to the short story competition 2025 for staff and students are listed below.

1. The short story competition is open to all current students of the University of Liverpool and all current staff members.

2. The competition will close at 11.59pm on Monday 1 September 2025. Submissions received after this date will not be considered.

3. Submissions must be sent via the online entry form unless otherwise agreed in writing by the competition organisers.

4. The maximum word count for the standard categories is 1500 words. If any submissions exceed this word count, only the first 1500 words will be considered. There is no minimum word count.

5. Submissions must be written in English.

6. Submissions must be entirely the work of the competition entrant.

7. Submissions will be judged by a panel of staff and student members from across the University.

8. Members of the judging panel are not eligible to enter the competition.

9. All submissions will be anonymised before being made available to the judging panel.

10. Published authors should not enter the competition.

11. Only one submission is permitted per entrant.

12. The winner and runner-up of each category will have their story published in the University’s festival anthology later this year, and will also be given the chance to feature in an event at the annual Liverpool Literary Festival, 17-19 October 2025. We also intend to display shortlisted entries around the campus.

Staff winners will receive weekend tickets to the festival.

Prizes for the student categories:

  • Winner: £100 Liverpool One voucher and weekend passes for the Liverpool Literary Festival
  • Runner-up: Weekend passes for the Liverpool Literary Festival.

All runners-up and any other submissions the judging panel deem of interest may be hosted online and displayed on campus.

Authors will retain the copyright of their work but agree to grant the University of Liverpool a perpetual, non-exclusive licence to publish the work in all formats.