RTÉ Short Story Competition

Full details 

The 2025 competition is open for entries! Closing date: Friday 23rd May 2025. Follow the link below to submit an online entry, or see the rules for instructions on how to enter by post.

More about the competition

The 2025 RTÉ Short Story Competition in honour of Francis MacManus, one of Ireland's longest established and most significant literary prizes, is now open for entries. Writers over the age of 18 living in Ireland, and Irish writers around the world have until xxx to submit their short story to the competition; this year, Tristan Rosenstock and Jan Carson join returning judge Neil Hegarty on the panel. The literary prize, set up in 1986 to honour writer and broadcaster Francis MacManus, recognises and rewards the best new Irish fiction writing for radio. The top prize is now €5000.

Read more about what the judges are looking for in your stories at rte.ie/culture (judge's tips from Tristan Rosenstock, Jan Carson and Neil Hegarty) and listen back to and read past winning stories at rte.ie/writing

Jan Carson says: "Precision and clarity are key...a deftness of touch regarding language. The understanding that a prose fiction sentence, like a line of poetry, should carry meaning and also sing. Characters who, however unlikable, are nevertheless worthy of the reader's time. A narrative which feels fresh and uniquely told. Discombobulating twists and revelations...bear the listener constantly in mind, craft stories which leave your listeners more drawn to the world you've created than the everyday plod of reality"

Neil Hegarty says "write about what you're interested in, what moves you, what stimulates your mind and your imagination....feel a pulse of curiosity, of attention, of excitement..it's the unexpected thoughts and connections that interest me..this being a radio competition, the voice in the writing, and its texture, really matter."

And Tristan Rosenstock adds: "for me, a short story is not always about story. The short stories that stay with me are ones in which mood, tone, and character are to the fore. I want characters to remain with me, to be left imagining what fate awaited them...As you're writing your story, read it aloud. If a sentence feels clunky as you read it be sure it won’t land well on the ear. Watch out for overpopulating your story and try to put manners on your characters to ensure they’re not all talking at one another....your story must engage the ear"

At a special RTÉ Arena live programme with Seán Rocks in the autumn, the overall winner will be awarded €5,000, while €4,000 and €3,000 will be awarded to the second and third place prize winners respectively. A further seven runners-up will receive €250 each, and all 10 shortlisted stories will be published on rte.ie/culture and broadcast in a season of new writing on RTÉ Radio 1. Listen back to last year's awards night here and see some images from the night here

The RTÉ Short Story Competition has been championing new talent for decades; past winners and shortlisted writers include Claire Keegan, Danielle McLaughlin, Anthony Glavin, Chris Binchy, Nuala O’Connor, Liz Nugent, Austin Duffy, Colin Walsh, Stephen Walsh and Sarah Gilmartin.

All shortlisted stories are produced for radio, voiced by some of Ireland’s most talented actors. In recent years these have included Marty Rea, Aaron Monaghan, Jane Brennan, Cathy Belton, Derbhle Crotty, Eamon Morrissey, Ali White, Ingrid Craigie, Janet Moran, Kathy Rose O’Brien, Peter Coonan, Emmet Kirwan and Andrew Bennett.

And if you'd like to find out more about writer and RTÉ editor Francis MacManus who's honoured in this competition, there's a great profile here from the Journal.ie some years ago.