Submissions are open until April 19, 2026!
The de Groot Foundation is delighted to partner with The Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction to support emerging writers. The prize offers financial support, residency, publication opportunities, and more.
Hear from 2025 prize winner Shastri Akella on what it was like to win the prize:
It was really surprising [to win the prize], and as a writer, it was validating that I can attempt this form. To have two of my literary heroes, Ottessa and Mariana, read it and like it was a huge boost. I’m working on a fantasy novel and I’ve never attempted the genre, so this gave me a lot of confidence. It was like the universe telling me “Yes! Keep going!”