ABOUT THE COMPETITION
This annual literary competition was founded in 1986 to honour Francis MacManus (1909-1965), the Kilkenny born novelist, biographer and former Head of Talks and Features at Radio Éireann. Every year, it showcases the best new Irish writing for radio. Many of its past winners and shortlisted writers have gone on to national and international acclaim, including Chris Binchy, Sarah Gilmartin, Anthony Glavin, Austin Duffy, Claire Keegan, Danielle McLaughlin, Molly McCloskey, Liz Nugent, Colin Walsh, Stephen Walsh and Nuala O'Connor.
The overall winner will receive €5,000, while €4,000 and €3,000 will be awarded to the second and third place prize winners respectively. A further seven runners-up will receive €250 each, and all 10 shortlisted stories will be published on rte.ie/culture and broadcast in a season of new writing on RTÉ Radio 1 in the autumn, performed by some of Ireland’s leading actors
Ten stories will be selected for the shortlist, which will be announced in September 2023, and all 10 writers will be invited to a special Arena programme in the autumn where the judges will discuss all the stories on the shortlist and award their top prizes.