RM1,000 grand prize
Crossing. Interchange. Potential. In the second edition of the Penang Monthly short story prize, we invite creative speculations on Penang’s other futures. Whether set in the coming years or as far away as centuries, we want stories set in a future Penang that takes on other forms: whether an ecologically balanced metropolis or a cutting-edge society underwater or even being linked to outer space. We hope to see stories that engage with what it means for Penang and its peoples to be part of new networks, structures and (eco)systems, whether terrestrial or beyond. In short, we ask you to imagine other worlds which Penang and its peoples can one day inhabit.
Submissions close on 31 July 2026. Good luck!
Submission guidelines
- Please prepare your short story as a Microsoft Word document (Times New Roman, font size 12, double-spaced, 2500–3,000 words) without personal details;
- If you have a Google account, please submit your article through this form (linked here);
- If you do not have a Google account, please email your submission to [email protected] with the subject heading “PM Short Story Prize 2026 – [Title].” Please include the following details in the body of your email only:
- Full legal name
- Pen name
- Country of residence
- Link to Penang
- Email address
- Contact number
- Short bio (80 words max.)
- Publishing history, if applicable (maximum of three publications)
Terms and conditions
- Anyone from, or with links to, Penang can participate. However, Penang Institute staff members and their immediate families are not allowed to participate.
- Word count: 2,500–3,000 words (Times New Roman, font size 12, double-spaced)
- The use of generative AI tools is prohibited.
- The finalists are invited to attend the prize-giving ceremony at the end of November 2026, at the George Town Literary Festival. Travel expenses will be paid by the finalists themselves.
- The finalists automatically license the publishing rights for their stories to Penang Institute, which may then publish these stories in Penang Monthly, and/or other publications, without further compensation.
- Due to the expected high volume of submissions, only finalists will be contacted.
