Illustration spotlight! 1. Zsuzsanna Vingh @bluewolfey goes back to the origins of stories with the figures around the campfire. We loved the bold figures and their rapt expressions, and the fire at the centre that seems to leap off the cover.

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Illustration spotlight! 2. Holly Honeyfield @hollyhoneyfield shows incredible illustrations and composition in a cover that is as unique as each short story. We could spend hours finding new details in each character.

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Illustration spotlight! 3. Holley Ayers-Durbin @ha.illustrates has really considered what a short story is in this design. Each door can open up to a new story, while the silhouetted figures invite us to ask questions about the characters to be found within.

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Illustration spotlight! 4. Felix Swift @gkweezy uses mixed media collage that made us want to pick up the book and feel the change in texture. The use of colour and shape suggests landscapes, city skylines and characters waiting to tell their stories.

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We are honoured to announce 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place winners for Bristol Short Story Prize 2026! Third Prize goes to Avantika Chilkoti for 'Demolitions', a story set in a Mumbai apartment block which unfolds the uneasy relationship between a domestic worker and the woman who employs her.

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