Saba Sams is judge for the BBC National Short Story Award

After winning the BBC National Short Story Award in 2022 with her story ‘Blue 4eva‘, Saba is returning to judge this year’s competition.

The NSSA (with Cambridge University) is one of the most prestigious awards for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000, and four further shortlisted authors £600 each. The stories are broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and available to listen to on BBC Sounds and additionally published in an anthology by Comma Press.

The Award is now open for submissions. The deadline for entering is 9am (GMT) Monday 16th March 2026.