Thanks to everybody who entered and all our 2026 partners... We'll be going through your stories in the next couple of months before passing on the shortlist to the judges.
Desperate Literature
@desperatelit.bsky.social
International bookshop in the heart of Madrid! Home of the Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction (NOW CLOSED FOR 2026)
Make your final edits! The Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction closes TOMORROW! @desperatelit.bsky.social Deadline: Thursday, April 30th, 23:59 CEST // 5:59 PM EDT ✍️Learn more and apply: degrootfoundation.org/2026-despera...
![Headshot of writer Shastri Akella smiling at the camera in glasses and a brown and white collared shirt, with greenery in the background. White text on the bottom half of the image is a quote from Shastri: “[Applying] became a learning experience that I knew I would cherish irrespective of whether I won this contest or not.” - Shastri Akella, 2025 Winner"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:s2kxcijy3nrkvfvg2sh23xm3/bafkreiez3vbhciqecrxq2ruzyjicrcutei2zx7szcn24sckd3twd4thtei)
ONE WEEK LEFT 💫 Calling writers of innovative fiction under 2000 words! Prizes: €2000 / 1000€; residencies Civitella Ranieri & at DL in Madrid; manuscript assessment with @thelitconsultancy.bsky.social; publication; salons; and more... desperateliterature.com/prize
Highlighting another partner journal, today: @kydmagazine.bsky.social Not only do they publish 🔥 lit, they also provide tons of editorial services, classes, & content to support authors... For all the info of our prize and what they have published from the prize: desperateliterature.com/prize/
We are incredibly proud to be partnered with Helter Skelter Magazine, an incredible magazine publishing materials from and about India! During our years collaborating together, they've published four of our previously shortlisted authors Check them out here: desperateliterature.com/previous-win...
EXTENDED DEADLINE 💫 Calling writers of innovative fiction under 2000 words! Prizes: €2000 / 1000€; residencies at Civitella Ranieri & at DL in Madrid; manuscript assessment with @thelitconsultancy.bsky.social; publication; salons; and more... desperateliterature.com/prize 1/
We're excited to announce new prizes 🌟 in collaboration with @reedsy.bsky.social We've a host of prizes to add on to our already pretty tasty basket, with a focus on making sure that more prizes get to longlisters! There's still some time left. ALL THE INFO: desperateliterature.com/prize/
SIX WEEKS REMAINING 💫 Calling writers of innovative fiction under 2000 words! Prizes: €2000 / 1000€; residencies, a manuscript assessment with @thelitconsultancy.bsky.social; publications; salons; and new prizes from @reedsy.bsky.social... desperateliterature.com/prize
Want to discover writers making some of the most exciting work today?... check out the 2025 Prize Shortlisters ‘Generous, soulful distillations. A tasting flight of prosaic kerosene.’ -Henry Hoke For the full goss: www.instagram.com/p/DVeWchGDtRR/
Shastri Akella, on winning the 2025 literary prize: Ottessa Moshfegh called Shastri's story: ‘Tender... & haunting.’ You can read an interview with Shastri on our website & download his story as part of Eleven Stories 2025 www.desperateliterature.com/prize Open until April 19th!
2026 PRIZE NOW OPEN 💫 Calling writers of innovative fiction under 2000 words! Prizes: €2000 / 1000€; residencies @civitellaitaly & at DL in Madrid; manuscript assessment with @thelitconsultancy.bsky.social; publication; salons; and more... desperateliterature.com/prize 1/
ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS of the 2025 Short Fiction Prize Shastri Akella takes the winning spot with ‘The Border Country,' a ‘tender and haunting’ story of queer love on the Kashmir border. Runners-up are Swithun Cooper and Alisha Dietzman.
THE LAST DAY TO ENTER! Prizes: €2000 & 1000€, residencies at Civitella Ranieri and (NEW) at DL in Madrid, a manuscript assessment w/ @thelitconsultancy.bsky.social, publication, salons, and more... desperateliterature.com/prize
🔥Partner Journal Shoutout🔥 Presenting Minor Literature(s) @minorlits.bsky.social, an online journal specializing in experimental prose. Surprising, bold, cutting-edge, vital... For a chance to have your work published by this literary great, submit today: desperateliterature.com/prize
⚡Partner Journal Shoutout⚡ Kill Your Darlings Next up is Australian mag @kydmagazine.bsky.social! They're so much more than a lit journal. They have a whole spectrum of editorial services, classes, and content meant to help writers reach their full potential. desperateliterature.com/prize
ONE WEEK LEFT TO ENTER! Prizes: €2000 & 1000€, residencies Civitella Ranieri and (NEW) at DL in Madrid, manuscript assessment w/ @thelitconsultancy.bsky.social, publication, salons, and more... desperateliterature.com/prize
🔥Partner Journal Shoutout🔥 Tenement Press Next up in our lineup of literary magazine partnerships is Tenement, an occasional publisher of esoteric, accidental, angular & interdisciplinary literatures. Learn about the prize and submit your stories at: desperateliterature.com/prize
⭐Partner Journal Shoutout⭐ @gorsejournal.bsky.social is a stunning, original Dublin-based journal featuring essay, fiction, poetry & interviews. gorse has published 2019 & 2022 shortlisters Joshua Riedel & Jona Xhepa @quetzalfiach.bsky.social 2025 Prize info at desperateliterature.com/prize
Partner Journal 3: @prototypepubs.bsky.social is a publisher of fiction, poetry, anthologies, and interdisciplinary projects. They are committed to championing the work of new voices in free-form contemporary literature. For a chance to feature, submit now: desperateliterature.com/prize
⚡️EXTENDED DEADLINE⚡️for the 2025 Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction You now have until April 30 to send us your stories! desperateliterature/com/prize
🎺Partner Journal Shoutout🎺 Our next partner journal is Helter Skelter Magazine! This Indian lit mag runs a residency, publishes a print anthology & runs online content. They featured @bourgnetstogner.bsky.social's 'in the insect colony' in 2024 desperateliterature.com/prize
💫Partner Journal Shoutout💫 Being a shortlister means being published in one of our partner journals! First up is @thelondonmagazine.bsky.social, England's oldest literary periodical. desperateliterature.com/prize
LAST DAYS TO APPLY FOR A SPONSORED ENTRY! Calling writers of innovative fiction under 2k words! Prizes: €2000 & 1000€, residencies Civitella Ranieri and (NEW) at DL in Madrid, manuscript assessment w/ @thelitconsultancy.bsky.social, publication, salons, & more... desperateliterature.com/prize
The 2025 Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is open for submissions until April 13th! @desperatelit.bsky.social The prize offers financial support, residency, publication opportunities, and more. Learn more at degrootfoundation.org/competitions...
LESS THAN A MONTH TO ENTER! Prizes: €2000/1000€ Residencies - Civitella Ranieri in Umbria & (NEW) at DL in Madrid Manuscript assessment w/@thelitconsultancy.bsky.social Agency meetings Publication Salons (@saloneurope.bsky.social) & a 🔥 JURY! Deadline: April 13th desperateliterature.com/prize
Today we feature the wonderful @preetivangani.bsky.social, whose 2024 shortlisted story you can read with @minorliteratures.bsky.social here: minorliteratures.com/2024/11/06/g... We're so grateful to have the piece as part of our collection!
