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by BBC Radio 4
Brand new stories, from today’s best writers written exclusively for Radio 4 – the home of the Short StoryRadio 4 is the world’s leading commissioner of new short stories. Expect excellent writing from the hottest names offering compelling snapshots of the way we live now, produced by the experts behind the BBC National Short Story Award and other in-house readings teams.
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- Sep 14, 202548 min
The 2025 Young Writers' Award Shortlist revealed!
Lauren Layfield presents this year's special showcase of the five shortlisted stories for the 2025 BBC Young Writers' Award.Alongside the 20th anniversary of the National Short Story Award, this year's BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University is open to all writers between the ages of 14 –18 and was created to discover and inspire the next generation of writers. It is a cross-network collaboration between BBC Radio 4 and Radio 1. The winner receives a personalised mentoring session with an author to enhance their writing skills.Listen now to the whole 2025 BBC Young Writers’ Award shortlist.Podcast produced by Ellie Marsh and Bethany WoodheadHave you got a story tell? Submissions will open again in the new year for the 2026 Award - keep a look out!
- Sep 20, 202435 min
NSSA 2024 - Ghost Kitchen by Ross Raisin
Ashley Margolis reads Ghost Kitchen by Ross Raisin, the fifth story shortlisted for the 2024 BBC National Short Story Award, followed by an interview with the author on BBC Radio 4's Front RowPodcast presented and produced by Rick Woska
- Sep 20, 202433 min
NSSA 2024 - Nice Dog by Vee Walker
Paterson Joseph reads Nice Dog by Vee Walker, the fourth story shortlisted for the 2024 BBC National Short Story Award, followed by an interview with the author on BBC Radio 4's Front RowPodcast presented and produced by Rick Woska
- Sep 18, 202435 min
NSSA 2024 - Pieces by Manish Chauhan
Rebekah Staton and Hasan Dixon read Pieces by Manish Chauhan, the third story shortlisted for the 2024 BBC National Short Story Award, followed by an interview with the author on BBC Radio 4's Front RowPodcast presented and produced by Rick Woska
- Sep 17, 202434 min
NSSA 2024 - The Barber of Erice by Will Boast
Mark Strong reads The Barber of Erice by Will Boast, the second shortlisted story for the 2024 BBC National Short Story Award, followed by an interview with the author on BBC Radio 4's Front RowPodcast presented and produced by Rick Woska
- Sep 17, 202435 min
NSSA 2024 - Hamlet, a Love Story by Lucy Caldwell
Lisa Dwyer Hogg reads Hamlet, a Love Story by Lucy Caldwell, the first shortlisted story for the 2024 BBC National Short Story Award, followed by an interview with the author on BBC Radio 4's Front RowPodcast presented and produced by Rick Woska
- Sep 15, 202451 min
2024 BBC Young Writers' Award Showcase with Katie Thistleton
Katie Thistleton presents a showcase of the five shortlisted stories for this year's BBC Young Writers' Award.Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, the BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University is open to all writers between the ages of 14 –18 and was created to discover and inspire the next generation of writers. It is a cross-network collaboration between BBC Radio 4 and Radio 1. The winner receives a personalised mentoring session with an author to enhance their writing skills. The 2024 BBC Young Writers’ Award shortlist with Cambridge University is:‘A Human, a Robot and a Gosling Walk into a Post-Apocalyptic Bar’ by Basmala Alkhalaf ‘The Quiet’ by Amaan Foyez ‘Special’ by Lulu Frisson ‘Confession’ by Vivienne Hall ‘Nathalie’s Flatmate’ by Aidan VogelzangPodcast produced by Rick Woska
- May 21, 202414 min
An Affliction by Lottie Mills
A specially commissioned short story for BBC Radio 4 by the award-winning Lottie Mills. In this fantastical tale, a strange illness takes hold of those living at the Saint Francis Invalid Colony...Lottie Mills won the BBC Young Writers Award in 2020, and her debut collection, Monstrum is published in 2024. In her stories, Lottie delights in the uncanny, the unusual and the unique power of outsiders.Reader: Hayley Atwell Producer: Justine WillettPodcast presented and produced by Rick Woska
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About Short Story
Brand new stories, from today’s best writers written exclusively for Radio 4 – the home of the Short StoryRadio 4 is the world’s leading commissioner of new short stories. Expect excellent writing from the hottest names offering compelling snapshots of the way we live now, produced by the experts behind the BBC National Short Story Award and other in-house readings teams.
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