About the Competition

The RTÉ 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. 

The RTÉ Short Story Competition has been championing new talent for decades with the winning and shortlisted short stories being produced for radio broadcast and voiced by some of Ireland's most talented actors of the stage and screen. In recent years these have included Peter Hanly, Ali White, Emmet Kirwan, Cathy Belton, Ingrid Craigie, Denis Conway, Andrew Bennett, Caitríona Ní Mhurchú, 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. All three prizewinning stories will also be available to read on thejournal.ie