It's time to announce the winner of our Short Story Competition 2026! After a few weeks of deliberation, a decision has been made.
Here are the names of the winning and runner-up entries as selected by our judge, Paul McVeigh, followed by Paul's thoughts on each of the stories.
Third place:
The Nativity Play by Wendy Osborne
Comments from Paul McVeigh: The Nativity Play feels very real and that, for me, is the ultimate goal when I write. It’s particularly difficult to write a story about a school-age child and make it feel authentic so it’s an achievement from this writer. This piece is pacey whilst being entertaining and thoughtful. It’s a great story well observed.
Second place:
Dialogue by Ahana Banerji
Comments from Paul McVeigh: This really stood out for me in this competition for its imagery and the quality of its sentences. It’s a brave piece in that the author isn’t afraid to write from the viewpoint of an unsympathetic character and tell a story that isn’t feel good. I’m impressed.
WINNER:
Letting Go by Helen Thompson
Comments from Paul McVeigh: This a funny and tender story about a granddaughter and her gran. The characters are believable and we wholeheartedly invest in their relationship. It’s a difficult task to create these reactions in a reader and to do it such a short story is and the mark of an author who has made big strides in their writing journey.
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Huge congratulations to our overall winner, Helen, who receives the fantastic prize of a place on an Arvon Foundation Writing Retreat (worth £850). And our runners-up Ahana and Helen will receive a W&A book bundle! You'll be able to read each of the runner-up entries and this year's winning story in full by clicking on the story titles below.
We should also celebrate those writers who made our 2026 shortlist. These are:
- Peaches by Jez Watts
- Red Tie and Lipstick by Penny Pepper
- God of Fun by Sophie Lawrence
- Sour Tit by Theresa David
- Jackpot by Jane Barlow
And for those of you that weren't selected for this year's shortlist, do keep an eye on the site for further opportunities. We run a variety of different competitions and prizes throughout the year, so be sure to check back to our Competitions page.
Thank you for sharing your stories with us,
The W&A Team
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Read our winning story, Letting Go.
Read our second and third place stories, Dialogue and The Nativity Play.
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