The favourites from our favourites
After months of reading, careful consideration, and discussions behind the scenes, we have the youth and adult shortlists ready! We loved so many of the stories on the longlists that this was not easy.
You can read the opening lines from the adult and youth shortlists on the new Ink of Ages website!
These are the favourites from our favourites. Several made us laugh, and at least three made me cry (surprise, surprise 😂). Thank you to everyone who took part, writers and our fabulous reading team.
The adult shortlist
‘In the Land of Heroes’ by Aleah Romer
‘The Arithmetic of Ash’ by M.R. Cameo
‘The Yaksha of the Pond’ by Loshi Rajen
‘The African Griot’ by Takudzwa Wayne Mhaka
‘Roserust Hollow: A Door Between Worlds’ by Azure Austin
‘Apotheosis’ by Juliette Jarabek
‘Warmth in the Woods’ by Sydney Miller
‘The Last Scroll’ by Christina Charles
‘Wet Plate Collodion’ by Madison Vansco
‘Igbo Flight’ by Chisom Umeh
‘Inferno Chinatown’ by Scott Ting-A-Kee
‘SEIRA Inc.’ by Denarii Peters
‘The Crown That Would Not Bow’ by Writinah
‘Oberleutnant Raymond Zoller’ by Katie Thorn
‘Perfection’ by Sparsh Sharma
‘The Weaver of Faces’ by Theo James Taylor
The youth shortlist
‘The Forbidden Kumari’ by Adt
‘Only in Russia is Poetry Respected’ by Tanushri Jayasuriya
‘Ashes Between Us’ by Zainab Salimi
‘Tiahahu’ by Andri Ryel Nathanael
‘The Queen Who Never Was’ by Niamh Healy
‘The Ocean’s Ghost’ by Rachel Cardoso
‘A Whisper Can Outlast Stone’ by Jing Zomok
‘Our Afflicted Souls’ by Zuleyma Sarceno Bravo
‘The Song Beneath the Cotton’ by Oluwatamilore (Tammy) Dawodu
‘The Ink-Keeper’s Daughter’ by Anaya Jain
‘Beneath the Tiger’s Gaze’ by Yeseo Kwak
‘The Brownie’ by Anastasia Currie
‘Fire’s Lament’ by Jiya Khandelwal
‘The Ink that Defied Fire’ by Naysa Dalmia
‘Ọmọ Ayé Méjì: Child of Two Worlds’ by Teniola Balogun
‘Dearest Iphigenia’ by Rosalia
How can we help writers?
Do you have questions about Ink of Ages, historical/myth-inspired fiction, or writing short stories in particular? Editing fiction is my day job (Ink of Ages being my way to give back and celebrate my favourite genres), and over the last three years, I have read a LOT of the Ink of Ages entries and been on the judging panel, too. So if you could ask me anything, what would you want to know?
If we get enough questions, I’ll be interviewed on World History Encyclopedia’s “Ask the Experts” feature (eek! but go on, make me do it 😅). This is usually members only, but we’ll make sure all Ink of Ages Update subscribers have access to hear the answers to your questions. Just email [email protected] to let us know your writing, editing, and contest-related questions!
The winners of Ink of Ages 2026 will be announced on the 23rd/24th of February!
Ink of Ages Fiction Prize is run by World History Encyclopedia and generously sponsored by Oxford University Press, and more details are available on the contest website.
