A Writing Competition Open to Pakistan, in Urdu, English or Any Language
Quick answer: Writing competition open to Pakistan: Writory's monthly short story contest accepts original stories of 100 to 3,000 words in any genre, in Urdu, English, Punjabi, Sindhi or any language, for $8 a story. Judging is blind against a published rubric, every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 on 30 November 2026, and the winner takes $100.
Enter one story of 100 to 3,000 words for $8 by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and every entrant receives a certificate and a five-part score out of 100.
Urdu afsana and English fiction, in one pool
Pakistan has one of the great short story traditions in any language. The Urdu afsana runs from Manto and Intizar Husain to writers publishing today, and English fiction from Karachi and Lahore has a shelf of its own. The Karachi Literature Festival has run since 2010, Lahore's since 2013, and Islamabad has its own. The Zeenat Haroon Rashid Writing Prize for Women and the Salam Award for Imaginative Fiction are the two open competitions most writers here know.
Writory adds a monthly one. Any language is accepted and each story is read in its own language, so an afsana in Urdu, a story in Sindhi or Pashto and one in English compete in the same pool against the same rubric. Judging is blind; no name, city or university reaches the panel. Pakistani English is never marked down. Roman Urdu is read too, though a story typed in the script it was written for usually reads better.
What you get back, and what this is not
On 30 November 2026 every entrant receives a certificate and five marks out of 100: Storytelling & Structure 25, Character & Emotional Impact 25, Language & Craft 20, Originality & Voice 20, Impact & Resonance 10. The rubric is published before you write. The top story wins $100 and free entry to the next round, and writers keep all rights, so nothing you enter is published without your agreement.
This is not a national prize and will not read as one on a CV beside the Karachi Literature Festival's awards. It is a dated record of scores you can watch move over a year, from an outside reader who does not know you. The sister poetry contest has published dated winners from India, the United States, Ireland, Kenya and Slovenia; the story contest's first results land on 30 November 2026.
The deadline in Karachi and Lahore time
Entries close on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Pakistan Standard Time is thirty minutes behind India, with no daylight saving on either side, so the deadline is 11:29 PM the same evening in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar. Half an hour earlier than the Indian clock says, every round. Pakistan tried daylight saving in 2008 and 2009 and dropped it, so the gap is permanent.
The first contest runs from 1 September to 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, with results and certificates on 30 November 2026. From December the contest is monthly: entries close on the 25th, results on the 30th, and the next round opens the moment they land. Stories must be original, 100 to 3,000 words, any genre, from writers aged 13 or over, entered online at /submit-story. Urdu can be typed in Nastaliq or Naskh; both are read.
Paying from Pakistan, and the PayPal problem, honestly
The fee is $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five, in US dollars, roughly Rs 2,200 for one story at current rates. Payment runs through PayPal's checkout, which accepts a card as a guest. Pakistani debit cards from HBL, UBL, Meezan and others need international transactions switched on in the banking app first, which takes a minute. The entry is tied to your Writory account, not the card, so a relative's card abroad also works.
PayPal does not operate in Pakistan, and the prize of $100 is paid by PayPal. We will not pretend that away. If you win, you will need a PayPal account that can receive, for instance one held by family in the UK or the Gulf; write to us before results if that is a problem and we will talk it through. Winners also enter the next round free; that is the only free entry.
The published rubric, 100 points
- Storytelling & Structure (25 points): Does every scene cause the next, and does the ending pay off the opening?
- Character & Emotional Impact (25 points): Do we want something with your character, and does the story make us feel it?
- Language & Craft (20 points): Clean, deliberate prose: rhythm, precision, and nothing wasted.
- Originality & Voice (20 points): The angle only you could write, told in a voice that sounds like nobody else.
- Impact & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 3,000 words by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive on 30 November 2026: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Monthly winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Can I enter from Pakistan?
Yes, anyone aged 13 or over, in any province, with no residency or citizenship condition. Entry is online at /submit-story and judging is blind.
How much is the entry fee in rupees?
The fee is fixed in US dollars: $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five. One story is roughly Rs 2,200 at current rates, converted by your card on the day.
Do I get a certificate if I do not win?
Yes. Every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 with all five rubric marks on 30 November 2026, with a verification link.
What time does the round close in Pakistan?
25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, which is 11:29 PM the same evening in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, half an hour before the Indian clock reaches midnight.
Can I submit an Urdu afsana?
Yes. Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and English are all accepted, each read in its own language, in one pool against the same rubric.
How will I receive the prize if PayPal is not in Pakistan?
The prize is paid by PayPal, so you would need a PayPal account that can receive, for instance one held by family abroad. Write to us before results if that is a problem, and we will talk it through before anything is announced.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 31 countries have entered, readers come from over 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.