Georgie Woodhead, 16, from Sheffield has won the 2019 BBC Young Writers’ Award with First Story and Cambridge University (YWA) for ‘Jelly-headed’, a tragi-comic story about an ill-fated night out that ends in devastating circumstances on a nightclub roof. A gripping story about friendship, moral dilemma, and the absurdity of life, it was praised by […]
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National Short Story Award Winner
WELSH WRITER JO LLOYD WINS THE 2019 BBC NATIONAL SHORT STORY AWARD WITH ‘TIMELESS’ AND ‘DEEPLY TENDER’ STORY INFLUENCED BY BREXIT, SOCIAL DIVISION AND FOLKLORE Welsh writer Jo Lloyd has won the fourteenth BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University 2019 (NSSA) for ‘The Invisible’, a distinctive and compellingly original story. Inspired by the […]
Continue ReadingBBC Student Critics’ Award with First Story and Cambridge University
The BBC Student Critics’ Award with First Story and Cambridge University celebrates the written word by encouraging students to read critically, foster skills in literary criticism, and to build confidence.
Aimed at 16-18 year olds, selected students flex their critical muscles as they read, discuss and critique the five stories shortlisted for the prestigious BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University.
“I really, really liked the discussion – the teacher was one of us, rather than telling us” – Participating student from the BBC Student Critics’ Award 2018.
2018 saw 600 16 – 18-year-old students from 40 schools, and for 2019, this activity is being extended to encourage wider community link-ups between schools, colleges, libraries and bookshops around the UK.
Inaayat Hashim, Head of English at Pocklington School, York, led a group of sixth-formers in 2018 and said,
“This was such a tonic for students who have been jaded by public examination and sedated by a summer holiday. It energised them and imbued them with a vigour for academic debate that we are still running off weeks later.”
Each group selected receives a teaching resource for the short story which includes creative cross-curricular activity ideas; copies of the official BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University Anthology; a bespoke discussion guide for the five stories shortlisted for that year’s award and the possibility of live or online interactions with writers, judges, First Story Patrons and staff and students from Cambridge University Faculty of English, and a certificate for the group.
Please note that the shortlisted stories for the BBC National Short Story Award may contain adult themes.
Poetry and a Search for Emotional Connections Inspire 2019 BBC Young Writers’ Award Shortlist
The need for understanding, emotional connection and reconciliation feature in a ‘confident’, ‘irreverent’ and ‘experimental’ shortlist for the 2019 BBC Young Writers’ Award with First Story and Cambridge University announced live on BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks on Sunday 22 September . For the first time, a love of poetry and a desire to experiment […]
Continue Reading14th BBC National Short Story Award Shortlist Inspired By #MeToo, Trump and Discrimination
Award-winning writer Lucy Caldwell joined by former bookseller Lynda Clark, charity worker Jacqueline Crooks, and new voices Tamsin Grey and Jo Lloyd to complete shortlist of writers exploring sexual politics, intolerance, community and immigration. Lucy Caldwell, multi-award-winning novelist, playwright and short story writer, has been shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge […]
Continue ReadingJudges Announced for 2019 BBC National Short Story Award and Young Writers’ Award as submissions open
Broadcasters Nikki Bedi and Katie Thistleton to chair BBC Short Story panels that include Booker shortlistee DAISY JOHNSON; award-winning children’s authors PATRICE LAWRENCE and KIRAN MILWOOD-HARGRAVE; previous BBC NSSA winner CYNAN JONES; and writer and beatboxer TESTAMENT. The BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University (NSSA) today calls for submissions for the 14th year […]
Continue ReadingAnnouncing the 2018 Award Shortlist
Sarah Hall, prize-winning novelist and short story writer, has been shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University for the third time for “Sudden Traveller”. She won the award in 2013 for “Mrs Fox” and was shortlisted for the first time in 2010 for “Butcher’s Perfume”. Both stories appeared in her debut […]
Continue ReadingBBC Student Critics’ Award with First Story and Cambridge University Launches – Deadline for Applications 25th May 2018
The Faculty of English is pleased to be part of the BBC Student Critics’ Award, an exciting new initiative from the BBC and partners Cambridge University and First Story, designed to celebrate the written word by encouraging students to read critically, foster skills in literary criticism, and to build confidence. This scheme is for 16-18 […]
Continue ReadingTLS editor, Stig Abell, to chair panel of judges for prestigious BBC National Short Story Award 2018
The BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University (NSSA) today announced the editor of the Times Literary Supplement, Stig Abell, as their new Chair of Judges after TV presenter Mel Giedroyc stood down due to unforeseen work commitments. Abell, a double first in English from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, is a journalist, author, editor and […]
Continue ReadingCall for Submissions
The BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University (NSSA) today calls for submissions for the 13th year with television presenter, author and actress Mel Giedroyc chairing the judging panel for the 2018 award. Mel, who has co-hosted a myriad of television shows including The Great British Bake-Off, has written two books From Here to Maternity (2005) and Going Ga-Ga (2007). Mel’s counterpart […]
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