Dystopian Fiction Prize 2026

The Dystopian Fiction Prize 2026 is organised by the Orwell Society for current students at British universities.

About Dystopian Fiction Prize 2026

The Dystopian Fiction Prize 2026 is organised by the Orwell Society  for current students at British universities. They look for dystopian narratives of 3,000 words, following the dedicated theme, and entry to the competition is free. The winner will receive £750 and the winning entry will be published in the Society’s Journal.

Also Read: Writing Competitions in 2026 (Open to writers worldwide)

The runner up will receive a non-cash prize.

The professional judging panel includes Richard Blair, the son of George Orwell and Patron of The Orwell Society, as well as other distinguished judges.

Themes for the Dystopian Fiction Prize 2026

Belonging

Exploring the following concepts:

What it means to truly belong

The impossibility of returning home or inability to recapture the past

Timeline for the Dystopian Fiction Prize 2026

Entries open: Monday 3rd November 2025

Deadline for submissions: 28th February 2026

Shortlist announced: 20th April 2026

Winner notified: 2nd May 2026

Award presentation: 9th May 2026 (at The Orwell Society AGM in London)

All submissions are assessed anonymously.

Eligibility Criteria for the Dystopian Fiction Prize 2026

• The competition is open exclusively to students who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or master’s degree programme at a recognised university in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland).
•  Entrants must be registered students at the time of submission. Students who have completed their studies but not yet formally graduated are eligible, provided they remain on the university’s register.
• The competition is not open to doctoral (PhD) students, alumni, or applicants to universities who are not yet enrolled.
•  All disciplines of study are eligible; there is no restriction by subject area.
•  Proof of current enrolment may be required as part of the entry process.
• Entries must be entirely your own work and by submitting to the competition, you are confirming that this is the case. Any evidence to the contrary will result in immediate disqualification.

Entries

• Entries will open in October 2025 for the 2026 competition. The competition is free to enter.
• Only one entry per person is allowed.
• Entries are made by completion of a short online submission form which allows you to attach an anonymised word document of a maximum of 3000 words. No minimum. The title is not included in the word count. We also ask for some brief information about yourself, why you want to enter and how Orwell has influenced your writing.
• You will receive an automated e-mail confirming receipt of your entry. Please check your spam folder.
• The deadline for entries will be advised in due course.

• The story must be presented in 12 pt Times Roman double spaced – with each page numbered and the document ending with a word count.
• Save the file as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx). We also accept pdf versions.
• The file name should be the title of the story only, typed exactly the same as on the document, for example: Animal Farm.
• Do not include your name or contact details in the file title or it will be disqualified.
• Once the story has been submitted electronically, it cannot be altered.

The official information page.