Oxfordshire Libraries Short Story Competition 2026

Oxfordshire Libraries are excited to announce the launch of this year’s Short Story Competition.

The annual competition is a chance to discover new writers, stories, and voices from around Oxfordshire. Winners of each category will see their short story published as an eBook and eAudiobook on the Oxfordshire Libraries Overdrive page and Libby app, for members of Oxfordshire Libraries to borrow in 2026. Past winners have been some of the most popular downloads of the year. 

The competition invites writers to tell their own original story and is a great opportunity to discover unique writing voices. Please encourage your children (or adults) to join in - they could become a published author! 

We have three age categories: 

Children: 7 – 11 years old 

Young adult: 12 – 17 years old 

Adult: 18 years old and above 

Children’s stories can be up to 1,000 words. Stories by young adults and adults can be up to 3,000 words. The competition is free to enter, and entries can be submitted from Monday 8 September 2025. The closing date is Sunday 9 November 2025. 

Full terms and conditions as well as how to submit entries can be found on the Oxfordshire Libraries website