Entries open for 2026 Wild Atlantic Words short story competition in Mayo
Knockmore native Colin Barrett is set to oversee the annual literary contest as entries open ahead of the October event with €500 top prize on offer
Award-winning author and Mayo native Colin Barrett has been announced as the judge of the 2026 Wild Atlantic Words short story competition, organisers have confirmed.
The acclaimed writer, best known for his short story collections Young Skins and Homesickness, as well as his debut novel Wild Houses, will oversee this year’s competition as part of the 11th annual Wild Atlantic Words festival in Castlebar from October 6-11.
Barrett has earned widespread literary recognition throughout his career. His debut collection Young Skins won several major awards in 2014, including the Guardian First Book Award, the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize and the Rooney Prize for Literature.
His collection Homesickness was named among the best books of 2022 by publications including The New York Times and The New Yorker, while his 2024 novel Wild Houses was longlisted for the Booker Prize and won the Nero Debut Fiction Prize.
Barrett, who has also been recognised as one of the Observer New Review’s “10 Best New Novelists” of 2024, is a former National Book Award “5 Under 35” recipient in the United States and served as a Rolex Protégé in Literature between 2018 and 2020 under the mentorship of acclaimed Irish novelist Colm Tóibín. He is currently Writer in Residence at Dublin City University.
The Wild Atlantic Words short story competition is jointly sponsored by Bridge St Bar and Mayo Books Press, with a first prize of €500 and a second prize of €250 on offer.
A reading and prize-giving ceremony will take place during this year’s Wild Atlantic Words festival, which runs from October 6 to October 11 and will once again feature the popular Festival Dome at Bridge Lane in Castlebar town centre.
Founded in 2016, the festival celebrates literature inspired by the Atlantic coast and has previously welcomed notable guests including former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, author Sally Rooney, writer Donal Ryan and historian Diarmaid Ferriter.
Competition entry forms and full rules are available via the festival website, with entries closing on Friday, July 31 at 5pm.