The longlist for the V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize 2025 has been announced, with African writer Funmi Fetto standing out as the only African voice among the 13 longlisted authors for her story, Unspoken.
The V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize, established by the Royal Society of Literature in 1999, celebrates excellence in the art of the short story. Named after the renowned 20th-century author, the prize recognizes unpublished stories of 2,000 to 4,000 words. This year’s winner will receive £1,000 and have their work published online in Prospect Magazine and the RSL Review.
This year’s competition attracted a wide range of entries, judged anonymously by a panel comprising celebrated authors Tash Aw, Tania Hershman, and Fiona Mozley. The longlist, which features both established and emerging writers, showcases the breadth of talent in contemporary short fiction.
Funmi Fetto is a distinguished journalist, author, and editor with nearly two decades of experience in fashion and beauty journalism. She serves as a Contributing Editor at British Vogue, covering topics ranging from style and arts to social justice and politics. Additionally, she holds the position of Beauty Director and columnist at The Observer and is the Global Editorial Director of Service 95. Fetto is the author of the international bestseller Palette: The Beauty Bible for Women of Colour and has contributed to numerous esteemed publications, including The Guardian, The Telegraph, and Harper’s Bazaar.
As the countdown to the awards ceremony begins, anticipation builds for the ultimate announcement on 20 February.
Click here to see the full list of all longlisted authors
Congratulations Funmi Fetto on this remarkable achievement!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
