Sharpen your pencils and get ready to write: the Toronto Star’s annual short story contest is back.
Starting Jan. 3, writers who are residents of Ontario are invited to submit original, unpublished work on any topic to the 48th edition of the Toronto Star’s Short Story Contest. Submissions must be no longer than 2,500 words and must be created without the use of AI.
The top three winning writers will receive cash prizes and have their stories published in the Star and on thestar.com. The overall winner will receive $5,000 and tuition for one of two writing programs at Humber College School for Writers.
Second-place wins $2,000 and the third-place writer takes home $1,000.
The contest — one of the largest and longest-running short story contests in North America — is sponsored by the Toronto Public Library and Humber College School of Writers, which has partnered with the Star to present the contest for the last 16 years.
The panel of judges for the contest this year includes: Deborah Dundas, Star opinion editor and feature writer; Richard Ouzounian, director, writer and former Star theatre critic; Moe Hosseini-Ara, city librarian at the Toronto Public Library; Jean-Marc Ah-Sen, author and Star contributor; and author Cassidy McFadzean.
“Storytelling brings us together, strengthens our communities and celebrates the rich diversity of experiences across Ontario,” said Hosseini-Ara, the Toronto Public Library’s city librarian.
Last year’s Toronto Star Short Story Contest first place winner was “Heaven Without” by Toronto-based queer storyteller Jessica Maheral-Wareing.
In the story, a young woman struggles under her mother’s strict religious control at the dinner table, and though under pressure to repent for loving another woman, she quietly defies her mother instead, taking a bite of apple pie as an act of resistance and self-acceptance.
The contest opens Jan. 3 and all submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 25, 2026. One entry per person.
For full contest rules, visit thestar.com/shortstory.
