It was announced on BBC Radio 4 Front Row last night that a short story by Merryn Glover, our author of The Hidden Fires and Of Stone and Sky, has been shortlisted for the 2026 BBC National Short Story Award.
Merryn’s shortlisted story, Burning Bush, is set in Australia and centres on an old man, Pete, who lives as a recluse out in a shack, communing only with the animals, until one day, when a letter arrives.
You can listen to each of the shortlisted stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from Monday to Friday next week, with Merryn’s scheduled for Monday 14th September at 3:30pm.
The prize, now in its 21st year, was established to raise the profile of short-form writing. The winner will take home £15,000, while four further shortlisted authors will be awarded £600 each.
Previous prize-winners include Zadie Smith, Jon McGregor, Hilary Mantel, Rose Tremain, Tessa Hadley, Helen Oyeyemi and William Trevor.
Di Speirs, chair of the 2025 BBC NSSA judging panel, said: “The BBC National Short Story Award has come of age. And it’s as vital as ever. In a fractured age, where we confront technological change and an often atomised society, the value of stories that reconnect us can’t be overstated. This year’s five shortlisted stories differ in style, location and approach, but they all penetrate the heart of human relationships, across generations and through friendship. Written with deep attention, we are confident that you will find as much in them to enjoy and to admire as we have.”
The BBC National Short Story Award (in sponsorship with the University of Cambridge) 2026 shortlist is:
- Two Minutes to Midnight by Laura Beatty
- Little Lands by Lucy Caldwell
- Burning Bush by Merryn Glover
- A Second Opinion by Caoilinn Hughes
- Ditto by Cherise Saywell
We are so delighted to see Merryn’s wonderful writing recognised in this way, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for the winner announcement. Congratulations Merryn!
