Women's Fiction Competition 2026 - Short Story

Your story 

This competition is for unpublished complete short fiction of up to 3,000 words. 

How to Enter

Enter by pressing the 'Add to basket' button at the top of the page and proceed through checkout (you will be asked to set up, or sign in to your Mslexia account during the process). 

Once the order is completed you'll be taken to a 'Submit' page where the entry form is located. You can submit at a later date by logging into your Mslexia account and going to the 'competitions' tab.

Visit our Entry Instructions for more information (including formatting and eligibilty), and be sure to read our Rules before submitting.

Prizes

The winner will receive £3,000.

Three additional finalists will each receive £150.

Eight shortlistees will each receive £75.

The winning entry and the three finalists will be published in the December 2026 edition of Mslexia.

The winning entry, three finalists and the eight additional shortlisted stories will also appear in Mslexia’s ebook anthology, Best Women’s Short Fiction 2026, published in December 2026.

Deadline

The deadline for all entries is 23.59GMT, 21 September 2026.

Results

Entrants will be notified of the outcome of their entry in November 2026.

The winner, three finalists and eight further shortlisted entrants will be announced in the December 2026 edition of Mslexia. 

Enter now!

Have a question about formatting, eligibility, or anything else?

Please see our Entry Instructions. Be sure to read the rules before entering. For any further information, call us on 0191 204 8860 or email competitions@mslexia.co.uk