The short story prize writers have longed for

THE world's largest award for a short story will be unveiled at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this week.

The winner of the National Short Story Prize will receive a windfall of 15,000 with the runner-up pocketing 3,000.

In what organisers hope will one day grow to the size and prominence of the Booker Prize, the competition aims to honour the country's finest writers of short stories so is only open to authors with a previous record of publication who are either UK nationals or residents.

The inaugural panel of judges includes Scottish novelist William Boyd, broadcaster and writer Francine Stock, Alex Linklater, deputy editor of literary magazine Prospect, Radio 4 producer Di Spiers and writer Lavinia Greenlaw.

Linklater said: "The novel is a capacious old whore: everyone has a go at her, but she rarely emits so much as a groan for their efforts.

"The short story, on the other hand, is a nimble goddess: she selects her suitors fastidiously and sings like a dove when they succeed.

"The British literary bordello is heaving with flabby novels; it's time to give back some love to the story."

The shortlist of five stories will be broadcast on Radio 4 next March ahead of the winner being announced in May. The winning stories will be published and distributed free by Prospect magazine.

The new award will also be the centrepiece of a UK-wide campaign 'story' that will be launched in conjunction with the prize. The campaign is a joint venture managed by Booktrust and the Scottish Book Trust, the national agency for readers and writers.

Over the next two years, it will develop events, festivals and a central website as well as collaborations with bookshops, libraries and other public institutions. The aim of the campaign is to expand opportunities for British writers, readers, magazines and publishers of the short story.

Faith Liddell, project manager of the campaign, said: "Booktrust and the Scottish Book Trust, in their first major collaboration, are delighted to have the National Short Story Prize as the jewel in the crown of this campaign to build the prestige of the short story in our culture."