Do you have a short story idea that explores hope, courage or resilience? The Hope Prize 2026 is an international short story competition inviting writers to share powerful fiction or non-fiction that connects with readers and celebrates the impact of storytelling. With a $13,000 prize pool, international publication with Simon & Schuster Australia, and the opportunity to be included in an anthology supporting charity, it offers writers a meaningful platform to share their work with a global audience.

If you’re not quite ready to submit or would like to strengthen your short fiction skills, our Short Story Essentials course can help you develop the techniques needed to craft engaging, memorable stories that leave a lasting impression.

From the competition website

The Hope Prize is a global short story competition open to writers from anywhere in the world. Entrants must be 18 years or older as of 31 October 2026, and all submissions must be written in English.

The Prize

The total prize pool for The Hope Prize is $13,000 AUD, allocated as follows:

• First place: $10,000 AUD – jointly funded by Readings Books and Simon & Schuster Australia
• Second place: $2,000 AUD – funded by The Hope Prize
• Third place: $1,000 AUD – funded by The Hope Prize

The winning entries and a selection of highly commended entries will be included in an anthology to be published by Simon & Schuster Australia.

Key Dates

• Submissions open: 1 June 2026
• Early bird deadline: 11:59pm AEST on 31 July 2026
• Final deadline: 11:59pm AEDT on 31 October 2026
• Long list determined: Late January 2027
• Shortlist + winners determined: Between February and March 2027

Please ensure you’ve checked what 11:59 PM AEDT (Melbourne, Australia) corresponds to in your local time zone.

Australia is ahead of most countries, so your local deadline may fall earlier than expected.

Entry Fees

Early bird fee: $25 AUD for entries received by 11:59pm AEST on 31 July 2026.

Standard fee: $33 AUD for entries received between 1 August and 31 October 2026.

Eligibility

To enter, writers must be 18 years or older by close of submissions on 31 October 2026. There are no geographical restrictions. The Hope Prize is an international competition, open to writers from anywhere in the world.

Entries must be written in English and are a maximum of 5,000 words (no minimum).

What to Submit

The Hope Prize is a short story competition and we accept prose short stories only; either fiction or narrative nonfiction (including memoir). We do not accept poetry, essays, or academic writing.

Genre, style, and subject matter are open (and we encourage bold self expression and boundary pushing). 

We are looking for thoughtful engagement with the themes of hope, courage, or resilience. Stories that help us to understand the human experience in all its forms; love, daily grit, small wins, massive triumphs and living through what life throws at us. All of it is welcome here. 

We only accept previously unpublished work. 

We passionately welcome writers at all stages of their journey. You don’t need a publishing history or a degree in Creative Writing (although it’s great if you have one). You just need a compelling story and the skill and courage to tell it well, and in your own voice. We passionately believe great writing is rooted in curiosity, observation and creativity. So, whether this is your first submission or your fiftieth, we’re deeply honoured to read your work.

A note on AI: don’t use it. Please. You don’t need it and it does not make your writing better (trust us). Quite simply, this is a prize for humans, based on merit. Not a prize for humans based on how well they can prompt their LLM. 

Occasional spelling mistakes and imperfect grammar are not penalised, in fact, to some degree, they are expected. If you’re a good storyteller but your piece features a few “not technically correct” spelling and grammar choices, we will still regard it highly. 

The best way to understand what our judges and readers are looking for is to buy a copy of the 2024 Hope Prize Anthology, Tomorrow There Will Be Sun. 100% of royalties from the sale of this book go to mental health charity Beyond Blue. 

This is a wonderful opportunity to share your short story with the world. Learn more and enter here via the competition website.