Campaign

Story aims to increase the profile, prestige and presence of the short story in our culture; whether you are a writer or someone working with books, we want you to join us in order to help it thrive.

Story is run by Booktrust, and supported by the BBC and the BBC National Short Story Award.

What are we doing?

• Advocacy – we champion the short story wherever and to whomever we can
• We support initiatives to promote short stories in a variety of settings, bringing new readers, writers and publishers to the form
• The Story website is a central information point for all things 'short story'
• The BBC National Short Story Award is now in its fourth year. The award is the world’s largest for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000. It aims to honour the country’s finest authors in the form, with James Lasdun securing the inaugural year with ‘An Anxious Man’, Julian Gough in 2007 with ‘The Orphan and the Mob’ and Clare Wigfall in 2008 with ‘The Numbers’.

What can you do?

Let us know about short story publications, events, projects, workshops and activities you are organising or involved in so that we can include them on this site

Go along to short story events

Write short stories and enter short story competitions

Read stories specially commissioned for this site

Keep informed about the BBC National Short Story Award and buy the shortlist anthology

Buy and read short story collections – explore our short story bibliography for ideas

Listen to short stories on BBC Radio

Let publishers, booksellers and libraries know that you want to read more short stories and give positive feedback to those who support the cause

Buy newspapers and magazines that publish short stories

Tell your friends and family about the pleasures of the short story; share your passion and direct them to this website

Find out more

Other organisations promoting stories

Read a history of the Save Our Short Story campaign