New UK Costa Short Story Award to be Judged Anonymously

Costa has announced the launch of the Costa Short Story Award. The new award is for a single, previously unpublished short story of up to 4,000 words by an author aged 18 years or over and written in English. The author's primary residence must have been the UK or Ireland for the past three years. The winner will receive a £3,500 cash prize and two runners-up will each receive receive a £750 cash prize.

Entries in the contest will be judged anonymously - the identity of the author will not be available to the judges. A panel of five judges will select a shortlist of six entries and the public will vote online for their favorite. The entry form for the contest can be found on costabookawards.com. The entry deadline is 9-7-12.

The Guardian reports that by keeping names secret the new prize will give unpublished writers a level playing field with well-known names in literary fiction.

Image: Costa