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Jack Houston is the next writer up for the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú National Short Story Award, 2020. His shortlisted story is about Simone and Jackie, two women living on the edge of society who are caught in a downward spiral of addiction and poverty. Anne-Marie Duff is the reader.

From the short and pithy to the layered and literary, via robust poetics, family hierarchies and maligned youth, this year’s shortlist is the perfect reflection of all this ever-flexible fictional form can do. As a star-studded cast celebrate the fifteenth year of the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú National Short Story award with Cambridge University, the short story, be it humorous, witty or poignant, retains its ability to surprise, delight and move us in equal measure.

Now in its fifteenth year, the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú National Short Story Award with Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious for a single short story. Following the announcement of the shortlist on Radio 4's Front Row, on Friday, 11th September, the five stories in contention for the 2020 award will be broadcast each weekday afternoon on Radio 4 at half past three from Monday, 14th September. Each of the shortlisted writers will be interviewed the evening preceding the broadcast of their story on Front Row, and the winner will be announced live on the programme Tuesday 6th October. All the stories will be available on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Sounds after broadcast, and there will be a special edition of the Short Story podcast for each to download.
For links and the most up to date information go to bbc.co.uk/nssa

Produced by Elizabeth Allard