The 2021 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers / How To Apply: Prize($24000)

The 2021 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers recognizes twelve emerging writers each year for their debut short story published in a literary magazine, journal, or cultural website, and aims to support the launch of their careers as fiction writers.

Submissions deadline is November 15, 2020.

There are no restrictions placed by the organizers of The 2021 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize on the candidate’s age or on the style of work.
Stories must have been published or forthcoming in 2020.
There is no entry fee.
Both the editor and debut author must agree to and sign the award’s declaration of eligibility and consent.
They must also upload all application materials and submit online via Submittable.

Stories must be submitted by editors of literary magazines, journals, or cultural websites and published in the English language.
Publications may be based and distributed anywhere in the world.
The story submitted must be originally written in and published in English.
Authors may not submit their own work.
Participating publications include literary magazines, journals, or cultural websites published on a recurring schedule.
Editors from eligible publications may only submit a writer’s debut short story.
The story must have undergone an editorial review process.
Translations are ineligible. Writers who have published one or more books which have undergone editorial review are ineligible.
Editors from eligible publications may submit up to four eligible stories from debut authors in a given award year.
Stories may not exceed 12,000 words in length.

Each of the twelve winning writers receives a cash prize of $2,000.
The independent book publisher Catapult will publish the twelve winning stories in an annual anthology entitled Best Debut Short Stories.
The PEN America Dau Prize will acknowledge the literary magazines and websites where the stories were originally published.

Good Luck!