ABOUT

The Competition

The Department of English at Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence announces its inaugural annual short story competition for young writers - CROOKED LINES.

We invite Indian residents between the ages of 16 and 18 to unlock the farthest nooks and crannies of their minds and pen a riveting story with all the elements of a unforgettable narrative.

Choose a topic you love and write your best story for the opportunity to win exciting cash prizes. Begin your application process today.

The Jury Panel

Prof. Rajat Kathuria
Rajat Kathuria is the Dean School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Professor of Economics at Shiv Nadar University. Read More He is the former Director and Chief Executive of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). He has published extensively in international and national journals, magazines, and newspapers. Read Less
Shivani Mutneja
Shivani Mutneja is Visiting Faculty at Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune, and Associate Fiction Editor at The Bombay Literary Magazine. Read More Her work has appeared in Nether Quarterly and Jellyfish Review among others. Her upcoming first novel has been selected in the mentorship program by Asian Women Writers. Read Less
Trisha De Niyogi
Trisha De Niyogi is the Chief Operating Officer and Director at Niyogi Books in New Delhi. She was a fellow at the Istanbul Fellowship Program 2020. Read More She is a regular speaker at several forums and literature festivals on publishing and she writes occasional columns on Indian publishing in varied journals and newspapers. Read Less

Eligibility

Authors must be between 16 to 18 years of age as of the final submission date.

A Government of India-issued identity document must be scanned and uploaded as identity proof by contestants. The competition is open only to Indian residents/citizens.

Competition Rules
  • Word limit for the submission: 1000 - 2000 words.
  • Only unpublished works will be considered.
  • Plagiarized entries will be disqualified.
  • All entries must be original and in English.
  • Do not submit entries written by AI tools.
  • No identifying markers are allowed in the document, including the document name.
  • Only one submission per person is allowed.
  • The decision of the jury is final and cannot be challenged.
  • Entries should be typed, double-spaced, in Times New Roman font (12pt), and to be submitted in DOCX, DOC, or PDF format.

What Will You Win?

Rs. 50,000

Rs. 30,000

Rs. 20,000

Hear our English faculty

Dr. Vikram Kapur, Professor & HOD,
and Assistant Professors Dr. Chinmay Sharma and
Dr. Sreejata Paul share details of Crooked Lines.

Important Dates

1 June 2023

Call For Submission Open

15 September 2023

Submission Deadline

31 October 2023

Shortlist Announcement

25 November 2023

Prize Giving Ceremony

Contact Details

crooked.lines@snu.edu.in

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FAQs

There is no theme for the contest. We encourage you to exhibit your creative best without the limitations of a theme.

There is no submission fee for this year’s contest. However, only one submission per individual is allowed.

We are limiting submissions to one per individual. However, if there is a compelling unified narrative, we are happy to receive your entry.

Yes, this year’s competition is for Indian citizens only. Additionally, we require all entrants to submit a Government of India-approved identity proof.

If you want to maximize your chances of winning, we recommend ensuring your entry adheres closely to the 1000-2000-word range.

If your poem(s) tell a story, we would love to read your work.

Yes, we will notify you if you are on our shortlist. Not only that, but we will also invite you to the Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence campus for a day of creative writing workshops with our distinguished jury.

To begin your application, please fill in the required details at the top of the website before submitting your work.