The BBC National Short Story Award 2016: With Book Trust - Couverture souple

Young garment workers in a Bangladesh factory seek a better life, at a price... A girl on a deep, dark moor is drawn into a different kind of darkness after a stranger gives her a bunch of flowers... A retired plastic surgeon, who once served the great and not-so-good of Buenos Aires, finds a new peace when he disguises his identity... An academic seeks sanctuary in a different rhythm of life, while those who while away the nights in A&E, unlikely memories and a good sense of the absurd keep the worst at bay... The characters assembled in this year's shortlist are all looking for a new start, a chance to escape or change the way they are perceived. ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS FOR THE SHORT STORY HAS REACHED ITS ELEVENTH YEAR. This highly anticipated anthology celebrates the best in contemporary British fiction with five shortlisted stories, which explore the short story form in spectacular fashion. Johnathan Buckley's 2015 winning story, 'Briar Road', was hailed by Chair of Judges Alan Little as a 'quiet, intriguing mystery [...] a haunting evocation of the tensions between family members at a moment of unbearable loss.' Johnathan joined an impressive alumni from previous sell-out collections, which include submissions from Hilary Mantel, Sarah Hall, Lionel Shriver and Zadie Smith. This year's fantastic panel of judges feature BBC R4 s Jenni Murray, Booker prize winner Pat Barker, writer Kei Miller, Literature & Spoken Word Programmer at the Southbank Centre, Ted Hodgkinson and Di Speirs, Books Editor at BBC Radio.

Judges on this year's prize include BBC R4's Jenni Murray, Booker prize winner Pat Barker, writer Kei Miller, Literature & Spoken Word Programmer at the Southbank Centre - Ted Hodgkinson, and Di Speirs, Books Editor at BBC Radio. Shortlisted authors: Lavinia Greenlaw Hilary Mantel Tahmima Anam Claire-Louise Bennett K.J. Orr The winner will be announced on the 4th of October.