RISCS Short Story Competition 2026

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 Full details 

Imagining the Futures of Cyber Security

‘Everything’s science fiction until someone makes it science fact.’ – Marie Lu, Warcross 

The world of cyber security is constantly changing. What will it look like in 2036? What will stay the same? What aspects will be radically transformed?

In many ways, the future is already here. We can already see the escalation of AI-powered threats and defences, the democratization of cybercrime, and increased supply chain vulnerabilities. The growing interconnectedness of the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G networks, and critical national infrastructure presents new high-stakes targets for bad actors. What new threats and defences might have evolved or emerged in ten years’ time? What near misses, breaches, and successes will we have experienced?

RISCS – the National Research Institute for Sociotechnical Cyber Security, based at the University of Bristol – is launching a short story competition to explore how different social, technological, economic, and environmental changes might shape the future of cybersecurity. We are looking for creative short stories that bring to life the future world of cyber security in the year 2036. The winning stories will be showcased at CYBERUK, the UK government’s flagship cyber security event, taking place in Glasgow 21-23 April 2026.

Shortlisted stories will be published in a dedicated Anthology and three top prizes will be awarded by RISCS:

  • 1st prize – £1,000
  • 2nd prize – £500
  • 3rd prize – £250

Please read the competition rules carefully before entering.

Competition rules

  1. The closing date for receipt of entries is Monday 12 January 2026, 9am.
  2. The competition is open to UK residents and/or nationals only.
  3. The competition is open to both published and unpublished writers.
  4. This competition is not open to staff of the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) or to the competition readers and judges.
  5. Entries must be made both in Word doc. and pdf. format and submitted online via EasyChair (you will need to create an account): https://easychair.org/conferences?conf=riscs2026.
  6. All entries must be in English. All entries must be in a sans serif font (e.g., Ariel, Calibri, or similar), font size 12, double spaced, with normal margins.
  7. Entries should not include diagrams, illustrations, hyperlinks, or quotations from copyright protected material (such as song lyrics).
  8. The word limit (including title) must not exceed 4,000 words. There is no minimum length.
  9. Stories that incorporate AI generated content (using tools such as ChatGPT) will not be accepted. All authors will be asked to declare that they have not made use of generative AI tools to create their story.
  10. Authors must be aged 18 years or over on the closing date.
  11. All entries will be read and judged anonymously. Entrants’ names and contact details should not appear anywhere in or on their stories.
  12. Stories can be written in any style and can be based on any genre (e.g., Mystery, Crime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Romance, YA, etc.).
  13. Authors may enter one story only. There is no entry fee.
  14. Entries must be entirely the author’s own work and must never have been previously published, in print or online (including self-published, ebook, magazines, journals, websites, blogs, social network sites), or broadcast, or won a prize in another writing competition on or before the competition closing date.
  15. Any entry found to have been plagiarised or generated using generative AI tools will be disqualified.
  16. Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please let us know as soon as possible if a story is to be published elsewhere in any form on or before the competition closing date.
  17. Receipt of entries will be acknowledged automatically by email. Writers may also contact us to check that their entry has been safely received: contact-riscs@bristol.ac.uk
  18. All entries will be read by our team of readers. Shortlisted entries will also be read by our judges. They will all be looking for stories which engage imaginatively with the competition theme: ‘What does the world of cyber security look and feel like ten years into the future (in 2036)?’
  19. Readers will select a shortlist of 10 stories for the judging panel. The judging panel will select the top 3 prize winning stories and make the final selection for the Anthology. The judges’ decision is final, and no individual correspondence will be entered into. Judges or readers will not comment or give feedback on individual stories.
  20. The judging panel will include: Joanna Nadin, author; Will Slocombe, poet, writer, and co-director of the Olaf Stapledon Centre for Speculative Futures; Siân John MBE from the NCC Group; Paul Waller from the National Cyber Security Centre; and Lizzie Coles-Kemp, RISCS Principal Fellow.
  21. All entrants agree to have their work published, without fee, in an Anthology, in both print and ebook formats, should they be the author of one of the 10 stories that are shortlisted. Authors will retain worldwide copyright on their work (including film and dramatic rights) but the competition organisers have first publication rights to publish the 10 shortlisted stories in the Anthology in both print and ebook formats.
  22. Stories submitted and published as part of this competition are wholly the work of their creators and are not endorsed by the competition organisers or sponsors.
  23. Once notified that they have been selected for the shortlist and will be published in the Anthology (paperback and ebook), all shortlisted writers must confirm and verify that their shortlisted story has not been AI generated, has not been previously published in any form, and is not due to be published in print or online elsewhere (including self-published, ebook, magazines, journals, websites, blogs, social network sites), or broadcast, or won a prize in another writing competition.
  24. Each of the 10 shortlisted authors will receive 3 free copies of the Anthology.
  25. Prizes are: 1st prize- £1000, 2nd prize – £500, 3rd prize – £250.
  26. All shortlisted authors will be invited to an Awards Ceremony (date and location tbc) but prizes will be sent to any of the writers who are unable to attend. Prizes, including free copies of the Anthology as well as money prizes, are not dependent on winners attending the Awards Ceremony. Reasonable expenses can be claimed by prize winners to support their attendance.
  27. Writers will not be contacted individually about the competition results unless they are selected for the shortlist. The shortlist and final winners will be announced on the RISCS website on 20 April 2026.
  28. Any entrant wishing to withdraw a story from the competition before the closing date may do so by emailing us with this request: contact-riscs@bristol.ac.uk
  29. Entry confirms acceptance of all the competition rules. Entries that fail to comply fully with the entry rules and requirements will be disqualified.

We’re happy to answer any questions about the competition or rules – email us at: contact-riscs@bristol.ac.uk

 

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