About the Competition

The RTÉ Radio 1 Short Story Competition has been a critically important launch pad for new and emerging writers since its inception in 1986, with a wide ranging appeal including young aspiring authors in Ireland.

A competition for original short stories for radio was first established in 1986 in honour of the RTÉ Radio Head of Features and acclaimed novelist, Francis MacManus (1909-1965). Since then, it has been a source of encouragement, support and recognition for new, emerging writers as well as established names. Past winners have gone on to receive national and international acclaim, including Claire Keegan, Molly McCloskey, Ivy Bannister, Anthony Glavin and Nuala O’Connor, and many more. 

Every year, the winning and shortlisted stories are produced and broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 in a season of new writing, read by leading actors, who in recent years have included Peter Hanly, Emmet Kirwan, Cathy Belton, Ingrid Craigie, Denis Conway, Andrew Bennett, Kathy-Rose O'Brien, and many more. 

This year, the full shortlist of 10 stories will be broadcast in the autumn, and will be available for download as podcasts. And for the 2019 competition, all three prizewinning stories will be available to read on thejournal.ie following broadcast.