Our Women’s Short Story Competition is back for its twelfth year.

The winning writing will receive £3,000 and also have the prestige of being published in Mslexia, a credit shared with writers like Costa winner Angela Readman and novelist Peggy Riley.

In addition, the winner will have the opportunity to spend a week on an Arvon retreat, and receive a mentoring session with an editor at Virago – an experience that money can’t buy.

Three other finalists will each receive £100. All four winning stories will be published in the December 2020 issue of Mslexia.

The competition is open to women of any nationality from any country, and welcomes stories of between 300 and 3,000 words in length (not including the title).

Each £10 entry fee allows you to submit one short story.