Theme: Threads of Tomorrow

The Asian Group of Literature is delighted to announce that The Asian Prize for Poetry and The Asian Prize for Short Story are now open for submissions for the 2026 cycle. Writers, poets, and storytellers from across the world are warmly invited to submit their work under this cycle’s evocative theme — Threads of Tomorrow — a theme that reaches into the future while honouring the textures of human experience, memory, hope, and transformation.

A Prize Without Borders

The Asian Prizes are proudly and fundamentally inclusive. These are prizes for the world. Regardless of your nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, or where you call home, you are welcome here. The Asian Prizes do not belong to a geography — they belong to literature itself. If you have a story to tell or a poem to breathe into the world, this is your stage. We believe that every voice carries a universe within it, and it is precisely this diversity of human experience that makes literature the most powerful force for understanding we possess. Writers from every continent, every tradition, and every background are not merely welcome — they are essential to what these prizes stand for.

About the Theme

Threads of Tomorrow invites writers to imagine, question, and reimagine what lies ahead — for individuals, communities, and civilisations. Whether through the intimate voice of a single life or the sweeping gaze of collective futures, this theme welcomes stories and poems that weave together the fragile and the bold, the fractured and the whole, the inherited and the yet-to-come. There are no boundaries to how you interpret it — only the invitation to write with courage and conviction.

Submission Guidelines

The Asian Prize for Poetry There is no restriction on the number of lines. Poets are free to submit work of any length, provided it speaks meaningfully to the theme.

The Asian Prize for Short Story Submitted short stories must be between 2,000 and 8,000 words. Works that fall outside this range will not be considered for judging.

Language of Submission

All submissions must be in English. Works originally written in another language are welcome, provided they are accompanied by an English translation. In such cases, both the original work and the English translation must be submitted together. Should a translated work be longlisted, shortlisted, or awarded the prize, the prize will be shared equally between the author of the original work and the translator.

Formatting Requirements

All submissions must adhere strictly to the following formatting standards:

• File formats: Both PDF and Word (.docx) versions must be submitted
• Font: Palatino
• Font size: 13
• Line spacing: 1.5
• Title: Clearly stated and underlined at the top of the work

Submissions that do not conform to these formatting requirements may be disqualified from consideration.

Submission Package

Every submission must include the following:

1. The work itself — BOTH PDF AND WORD FORMAT ARE REQUIRED, correctly formatted as described above. PLEASE NOTE THAT SUBMITTING IN ONLY ONE FORMAT WILL RENDER YOUR SUBMISSION INCOMPLETE.
2. A submission cover letter — including a biographical note of no more than 200 words
3. A scanned copy of a valid National Identity Card or Passport

Incomplete submissions will not be processed.

Publication Rights

Please note that submitted works must not be published elsewhere at the time of submission, nor during the adjudication process. By submitting, authors acknowledge that The Asian Review retains the right to publish submitted works in both its online and printed formats.

How to Submit

Submissions are to be sent directly to:

📧 admin@theasianprizes.org (Please copy your submission to: theasianliteraryagency@gmail.com)

File naming conventions must be followed precisely:

• Poetry: Poetry_2026_Country_Name_Surname_Title of Work
• Short Story: SS_2026_Country_Name_Surname_Title of Work

For example, a poet from India named Priya Sharma submitting a poem titled “The River Speaks” would name her file: Poetry_2026_India_Priya_Sharma_The River Speaks

Key Dates

A Note from the Organisers

The Asian Prizes have always believed that literature is not a luxury — it is the infrastructure of empathy. With Threads of Tomorrow, we invite writers from every corner of the world to bring their visions, their voices, and their truths to the page. The submission process has been made simpler than ever before, with direct submission now available via email, reflecting our commitment to accessibility and inclusion.

We look forward to reading your work.

The Asian Prizes are administered by The Asian Group of Literature, a global literary ecosystem dedicated to celebrating and amplifying the voices of writers across borders, languages, and generations.