16 September 2016
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NSSA 2016
The five-strong shortlist, featuring some stellar names, was announced on BBC Radio 4's Front Row
The five-strong shortlist, announced on BBC Radio 4's Front Row, includes double-Booker winner Hilary Mantel
The winner of the prestigious award will receive £15,000. The runner-up will get £3,000 and the other three shortlisted writers will each get £500.
The shortlist is:
• Garments, Tahmima Anam
• Morning, Noon & Night, Claire-Louise Bennett
• The Darkest Place in England, Lavinia Greenlaw
• In a Right State, Hilary Mantel
• Disappearances, K J Orr
The BBC National Short Story is now in its eleventh year. It is open to UK-resident writers with a history of previous publication. Shortlisted writers over the years have included Zadie Smith, William Trevor, Rose Tremain, Jon McGregor and Naomi Alderman.
'Every year judging the BBC National Short Story Award is a reminder of how much talent, invention and imagination there is among the UK’s short story writers,' said Di Spiers, books editor at BBC Radio, who is one of the judges. 'Each year sees new preoccupations in focus and proves a litmus test for the state of the short story. This year is no exception, with stories ranging across the world but all investigating human connections – the need for them, the perils when they are lacking and the joy that can be found in recognising just who you are. The five stories this year are all very different – together they show once again how strong, vivid and irrepressible short form fiction can be.’
The winner will be announced on 4 October.
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