We’re thrilled to announce the winners and the commended writers of the international Bath Short Story Award, 2016. This year, 1439 writers entered from around the globe, 64 stories were longlisted and 20 stories made the shortlist. Congratulations to all our long and shortlisted writers and special congratulations to the five winners and three commended writers. An anthology of  winning and shortlisted stories will be published this Autumn.

BBC Radio 4 producer Mair Bosworth judged the shortlist and, after much consideration, chose the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners and three commended stories. The BSSA team selected the stories for the Local Prize and the Acorn Award for an unpublished writer of fiction. Read the judges’ comments on the winning and commended stories here and find out more about the authors and link to their stories.

1st prize of £1000  ‘Feather Your Nest’  by Anne O’Brien

2nd prize of £200  ‘Almost Home’  by Barry McKinley

3rd prize of £100  ‘Say you’ by Sara Collins

The Acorn Award for an unpublished writer of fiction:  £50  ‘Braces’ by Nick Werber

Local Prize:  £50 in vouchers donated by Mr B’s Emporium of Books, Bath ‘Who said the river was red’ by Alison Powell.

Commended story: ‘The Earth on the Way Down’ by Margaret Dolley

Commended story: ‘Blessing’ by Bunmi Ogunsiji

Commended story: ‘A Marriage of Convenience’ by Kathy Stevens