Commonweal Prize for Short Fiction 2026

For more than 100 years, Commonweal has published some of the best writers of fiction, from Graham Greene and Alice McDermott to Andre Dubus and Mary Gordon. Submit your best work and join them today!

The Commonweal Prize for Short Fiction, which was launched in 2024 as part of our centennial celebration, recognizes original and outstanding short fiction from emerging writers. The winner will receive a prize of $1,000 and publication in the July/August 2026 fiction issue and on the Commonweal website. We are pleased to announce that our guest judge is Phil Klay, National Book Award-winning author of Redeployment and Missionaries.

Submissions will be accepted from February 18, 2026 to April 3, 2026. This contest is open to emerging writers who have not yet published a novel or short story collection. 

Submission guidelines:

• Submit one original short story that has not been published elsewhere of 2,500-4,000 words. Please, no flash fiction or genre fiction. Submissions need not focus on religious themes.
• The final round of the contest will be judged anonymously.
• Include a resume as a separate attachment with your submission.
• Only one submission per author will be considered.
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please withdraw your submission if it has been accepted elsewhere.
• All submissions must be submitted through the Submittable portal. Emailed or mailed submissions will not be considered.
• Present or past employees of Commonweal as well as friends, family, or associates of the guest judge are not eligible for this contest.
• We may consider submissions that do not receive the prize for publication in Commonweal, paid at our usual rate. 
• Send any questions to Regina Munch at rmunch@commonwealmagazine.org.

About Commonweal:

Commonweal fosters rigorous and reflective discussions about faith, public affairs, and the arts, centered on belief in the common good. Independent and lay-led, Commonweal is a bridge between the intellectual and active lives of all people who seek meaning and justice, inspiring people in their hopes for a more inclusive future.

Founded in 1924, Commonweal is published by the nonprofit Commonweal Foundation for all readers who want to engage with the Catholic tradition in a context of justice, charity, and critical intelligence.