funding: €10,000 prize + publication in The Moth magazine
location: International (open worldwide)
eligibility: Open to writers worldwide (unpublished stories only)
host: The Moth Magazine
duration: One-time submission
apply-url: https://themoth.ie/prizes/the-moth-short-story-prize/
The Moth Short Story Prize is one of the most respected literary competitions for short fiction in the world. Run by The Moth, an Irish literary magazine celebrated for its commitment to exceptional writing, the prize is open to anyone aged 16 and over from any country. It attracts thousands of entries annually from writers at every stage of their careers — from emerging voices to published novelists testing new work.
Prize Structure
The first prize is €3,000 and publication in The Moth magazine, which is stocked in bookshops across Ireland, the UK, and internationally. The second prize is €1,000 and publication. The third prize is a week-long residential retreat at The Moth Retreat in rural Ireland — one of the most coveted writing residencies for short fiction writers. All shortlisted stories are considered for publication.
Submission Guidelines
Stories must be previously unpublished and no longer than 6,000 words. They can be in any style or genre — literary, speculative, experimental, or realist. Simultaneous submissions are permitted if you withdraw immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. Stories submitted to previous Moth prizes are ineligible. The competition does not accept AI-generated content.
Entry Fee and Deadline
The entry fee is €17 per story, which helps fund the prizes and the magazine's editorial work. The deadline for the 2026 prize is June 15, 2026 — do not wait for the final days. Late entries are not accepted, and the submission portal closes precisely at midnight on the deadline date. You may submit multiple stories, each with a separate entry fee.
How to Submit
Submissions are accepted online through The Moth website at themoth.ie. Create an account, upload your story in Word format, and complete the payment. Stories are judged anonymously — your name should not appear anywhere in the story document itself. The judges change annually and bring fresh perspectives to the prize.
Who Should Enter
The Moth Short Story Prize is ideal for writers who take the form seriously and have a story they believe in — whether written recently or refined over months. The competition rewards originality, precision, emotional truth, and command of structure. It is genuinely open to new and emerging writers; previous winners have included debut fiction writers whose work has since been published by major houses worldwide.