The Moth Short Story Prize 2026

The Moth Short Story Prize is an international prize, open to anyone from anywhere in the world as long as their story is original and previously unpublished. The winners are chosen by a single judge each year, who reads the stories anonymously. The competition is organized by The Moth, an international arts and literature magazine, based in Ireland.

The prize is open to anyone over 16. You can enter as many stories as you like. There is a word limit of 3,000. Entries must be in English. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been published, self-published, published online or broadcast.

This year’s judge is Wendy Erskine, author of two prize – winning short story collections, Sweet Home and Dance Move.

Prizes

• 1st prize: 3,000 €
• 2nd prize: 1,000 €
• 3rd prize: a week at The Moth Retreat in rural Ireland

The winning story is printed as part of the summer fiction series in the Irish Times, while the 2nd and 3rd-prize-winning stories are published in the Irish Times online.

Is this competition legit?YES! – Based on our research this event is legitimate and the organizer is well established. However, as with any event, please remember to do your own research before submitting your work.

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