Enter our Short Story Competition
Welcome to Inclusive Voices, where you have the chance to bring a print disabled character to life and win a special recording of your own audiobook!
Our short story competition is putting accessibility at its heart to celebrate Calibre Audio, a national charity who've been providing audiobooks to people who struggle to read print for fifty years.
We believe stories should be about imagination rather than rules, so we’ve kept our competition terms to a minimum:
Your story should be 550 words or fewer
It should feature a character with a print disability.
You can create and submit your short story in the format you prefer: written, audio or video – in poetry or prose.
Help raise awareness of print disabilities
Whether you have a print disability or not, you can take part in our short story competition. Launched as part of Calibre Audio’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Inclusive Voices aims to raise awareness of the challenges that people with print disabilities face in their daily lives.
It celebrates the joy everyone can share when stories are truly accessible.
Competition resources
We’ve gathered resources to help you write, film, or record your perfect story. They're divided into sections so you can find what you need more easily.
Whether you’re 7 or 70, you'll find inspiration here.
There are tips for younger writers and aspiring adult authors, as well as links to information about print disabilities for adults and children.
Even if you’ve no experience with print disability, you might find these resources helpful when bringing your print-disabled characters to life.
The Judges
What would a good competition be without expert judges? Our panel's made up of great literary minds who've volunteered their time to support Calibre.
Click here to view the panel and see who'll be reading your short story!
Enter the competition now!
You can enter the competition by completing the form below, or you can download a copy of the form as a PDF and send it along with your story by post to Inclusive Voices, Calibre Audio, Aylesbury HP22 5XQ or email shortstory@calibre.org.uk
Full terms & conditions can be found here.
Competition Dates
Opens: 9am, 27th March 2024
Closes: 5pm, 31st August 2024
Winners announced: 21st October 2024
Everyone is welcome
Maybe you make short work of the pile of books on your bedside table, but you’ve never turned your hand to writing and want to try.
Perhaps you have lived experience of a print disability and cannot read the written word as a result.
You might be brimming with ideas for a story but uncertain how to put them on paper.