Artissimo and the GlobalSouth Fund are renewing their commitment to literary creation in Algeria. Both partners have launched the second edition of the Short Story Literary Award, a national competition designed to discover and encourage Algerian talent within this literary genre. Accessible to authors over 18 years old, living in Algeria or abroad, the contest will be conducted in Arabic, Tamazight, and French.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the Artissimo–GlobalSouth Short Story Award returns with the ambition to further promote literary output and offer a platform to Algerian writers, whether established or emerging. Presented by organizers as the first major national contest dedicated exclusively to short fiction, this event aims to celebrate imagination, quality writing, and the diversity of Algerian literary voices.
The competition is open to all Algerians over 18 years of age, residing nationally or overseas. Submissions can be sent in Arabic, Tamazight, or French, while the theme for this second edition remains open to give participants full creative freedom.
Organizers emphasize the unpublished nature of submitted entries. Stories must be original, never previously published, and crafted without the use of artificial intelligence. Manuscripts will be evaluated on several criteria, including adherence to genre conventions, language mastery, subject originality, as well as narrative and stylistic quality.
The rules set a maximum limit of ten pages, formatted in Times New Roman, 14-point font, with 1.15 line spacing. Each entry must carry a title and be submitted in PDF format without any personal identification details to ensure anonymity during judging. Personal details must be provided in a separate document.
The submission deadline is set for Friday, September 25, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Any entry failing to meet participation requirements, including page limits, formatting, or anonymity rules, will be disqualified.
Manuscripts will be reviewed by a panel composed of established figures from the literary world, chaired by Lazhari Labter alongside Meriem Guemache, Mustapha Benfodil, Hamid Bouhbib, and Fairouz Rachem. Entries will be presented to judges anonymously, identified only by numbers to ensure an impartial evaluation.
Following deliberations, three winners—one for each competition language—will each receive a prize valued at 300,000 dinars. The names of the finalists and winners will be revealed in the presence of a judicial officer to guarantee process transparency.
The official award ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, November 7, 2026. The five finalists residing in Algeria must attend this event, where the most outstanding works of this second edition will be recognized.