Our warmest Somerville congratulations to Somervillian Dr Tess Little (2010, History), who has today been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is widely regarded as one of the world’s most global literature prizes, with this year’s competition attracting a record-breaking 7,920 entries from 54 of the 56 Commonwealth member states. Tess’s entry, ‘Beasts’ is one of 25 shortlisted entries selected by the international judging panel, and one of five representing the Canada and Europe region.
Amid entries conjuring a wide range of scenarios, ‘Beasts’ stood out to judges for its evocation of a cramped and crumbling house in which strange screams echo from the garden. Tess’s story asks what we owe to ourselves, and to other creatures.
A writer and academic, Tess is currently a Fifty-Pound Fellow of All Souls, Oxford, having completed her DPhil there as an Examination Fellow from 2014 to 2021. She is the author of mystery novel The Octopus, published in 2020 (re-released as The Ninth Guest in the UK and The Last Guest in North America), and has published short fiction in Words and Women: Two and The Mays Anthology.
Tess said, “It’s an honour to have been selected for this shortlist, along with other writers from across the Commonwealth. I first began writing short stories in my spare time while studying at Somerville. With its rich literary tradition and magnificent library, the college has nurtured countless writers for over a century—I feel very fortunate to count myself among them.”
Tess’ story ‘Beasts’ will be published in the online magazine of the Commonwealth Foundation, adda, alongside the other shortlisted entries.
The judging panel will select a winner for each of the five regions on Wednesday 14th May. The overall winner will be announced on Wednesday 25th June 2025.
Tess Little; photo Daniella Shreir