The CP/Aware Prize for Fiction will be awarded to a writer whose submitted work is socially engaged and highlights cultural and/or political injustice towards individuals, gender groups, ethnic minorities, communities or institutions.

The judges will weigh the values of the work as literature as well as its message. They will be looking for work that expands the scope of the conversation and challenges bias, racism or prejudice in any of its insidious forms.

The award recognises the importance of a single work or a collection of fiction with no restrictions based on career or status of the author.

The award will be presented to a writer who is selected on merit and the winner will receive an advance of €300.00 plus a publishing contract with Chaffinch Press, with their work scheduled for release in 2021.

How to enter. 

• Submissions for the 2020 awards will be accepted from July 15th, 2020 through September 1st, 2020. 
• Initial entry should comprise only:
  
  • • • The first 3000 words of a complete novel
      • The first 3 stories of a complete collection.
      • Entry should be in MS word and have the entrant’s email address in the header. 

• The longlist will be announced on October 1st at which stage the judges will request complete manuscripts. (Cut-off for receipt of completed manuscripts is October 14th)
• All longlisted entries will be read in full by Chaffinch Press’s commissioning fiction editor and considered for publication in 2021.
• The shortlist on will be announced on November 14th.
• The winning manuscript will be announced on December 1st.
• Submissions may come from anywhere in the world; however Chaffinch Press can only accept submissions of work in English, including translations.
• The completed manuscript  must contain no more than 20 stories if a collection, or be a novel of 40,000–150,000 words.
• If your submission is accepted for publication elsewhere, please inform us immediately.
• It is a condition of entry that a minimum of 60% of a submission be previously unpublished and that it remains so until judging of the contest is complete and results are announced on December 1st. 
• All entries are subject to a  €20.00 entry fee. (Free or discounted to Blue Nib Subscribers, Want to know more?)

Chaffinch Press and our sponsor have set aside 20 discretionary places for the unwaged. For further details about these places email
As places are limited, they will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

*Please note: Longlisted and shortlisted writers will be notified by email and the list will be published on the contest page of the Chaffinch Press website.