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Enter the Inalco Multilingual Short Story Competition before 27 February 2027
This competition is open to all French-speaking students aged under 35 who are enrolled at an educational institution for the current academic year. Each year, it recognises original, unpublished multilingual short stories, as well as a work of multilingual digital literature.
2027 Edition: Languages of the Afterwards
For its seventh edition, INALCO’s multilingual writing competition will delve into the intricacies of ‘Languages of the Afterwards’. From the Fall of Adam to climate collapse, from crushes to crashes, via war or the Great Flood, life is nothing but a succession of ‘afters’ yet to come, threads stretched between a succession of ‘before’s’. This broad theme, which echoes the genre of speculative fiction yet may transcend it, invites participants to explore those decisive moments that divert narratives and languages from their usual course, leading us in the wake of the poetic and linguistic unknown.
Entries (short stories of between 5,000 and 15,000 characters) must be written in French but must necessarily incorporate, even if only occasionally, a language other than standard French. All languages and linguistic varieties are permitted. Constructed and invented languages are permitted.
The deadline for submitting texts and digital creations has been set for 27 February 2027. To find out more about how to take part and to read the rules, please visit the competition website (currently being updated).
Timetable
- Until 27 February 2027 at 11.59 pm (Paris time): submission of the short story or digital work online
- 27 April 2027 in the evening : announcement of results and awards ceremony at INALCO (Paris) – date subject to change
- 2027–2028 : publication of the short stories by Éditions Tangentielles
How to enter?
This international competition is open to all French-speaking students under the age of 35 who are enrolled at an educational institution for the 2026–2027 academic year in France, the French-speaking world and beyond.
There are two ways to enter:
- An individual short story in standard text format : a short story written in French but which must incorporate, even if only occasionally, one or more languages other than standard French.
- Digital work, which may be collaborative (‘Digital Writing’ Prize): for multilingual digital texts that make use of the multimodal possibilities offered by technological media.
To enter, you must submit your work online by 27 February 2027, 23:59 (Paris time). See the submission guidelines and writing requirements on the competition website .
Four prizes up for grabs
- 1st prize : €500
- 2nd prize : €200
- 3rd prize : €100
- ‘Digital Writing’ Prize : €400 plus promotion and distribution of the work online, in a book published by Editions Tangentielles, and at various events linked to the competition
The best short stories selected by the final jury, ranging from 3 to 12 stories, depending on the year, will be published by Editions Tangentielles with editorial support. Their authors are invited to take part in a workshop led by a specialist in creative writing, to prepare for the editing and publication of their work.
Composition of the jury
The jury, comprising external figures, teaching and research staff, administrative staff, and students from INALCO, is appointed by the organising committee of the Multilingual Short Story Competition. An initial jury shortlists the best entries; the final jury, comprising, amongst others, the writers acting as patrons of the competition, as well as figures from the publishing world, representatives from Inalco and Éditions Tangentielles, selects the three winners and may award a special mention (the Grand Jury’s ‘favourite’, which carries no prize other than an honourary one).
