ABOUT

The Competition

The Department of English at Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence announces the third edition of its annual short story competition for young writers, CROOKED LINES.

We invite Indian residents between the ages of 16 and 18 to unlock the farthest nooks and crannies of their minds and pen a riveting story with all the elements of an unforgettable narrative.

30 long-listed contestants will be invited to the University campus for the Crooked Lines literature festival and prize-giving ceremony. Choose a topic you love and write your best story for the opportunity to win exciting cash prizes. Begin your application process today.

The Jury Panel

Sam North
Sam North
Sam North is a novelist, scriptwriter, and Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Exeter. He has published eight novels and written two films. His first novel, The Automatic Man, won the Somerset Maugham Award. His 2004 novel Unnumberedwas longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
Jonathan Cook
Jonathan Cook
Jon Cook is an Emeritus Professor of Literature and former Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of East Anglia. He has published widely in Romantic Studies, Literary Theory, and Poetics. His published books include Romanticism and Ideology, a biographical work, Hazlitt in Loveand Poetry in Theory. He has taught at universities in the United States, Europe and India, where he is currently involved in two research collaborations with colleagues at the universities of Calcutta and Jadavpur. He has been appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.
Trisha Bora
Trisha Bora
Trisha Bora studied literature at Miranda House, Delhi, and started a career in publishing immediately after. She has worked at Penguin Random House India, Conde Nast Traveller, Rupa Books, Dorling Kindersley and Juggernaut Books. She is currently senior commissioning editor at HarperCollins India. She is the author of What Kitty Didand How Not To Kill Your Houseplants.
Ratna Pathak Shah
Ratna Pathak Shah
Ratna Pathak Shah is an acclaimed Indian actor and director renowned for her work in theatre, television, and film. Her cinematic debut came with roles in Shyam Benegal’s Mandi(1983) and Merchant & Ivory’s Heat and Dust(1983). More recently, she played Maya Sarabhai in the sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai(2004–2006) and has since featured in notable films like Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na(2008), Kapoor & Sons(2016), Lipstick Under My Burkha(2017) and Dhak Dhak(2024). A graduate of the National School of Drama, she co-founded the Motley Theatre Group with her husband, actor Naseeruddin Shah.

Eligibility

Authors must be between 16 to 18 years of age as of the final submission date.

A Government of India-issued identity document must be scanned and uploaded as identity proof by contestants. The competition is open only to Indian residents/citizens.

Competition Rules
  • Word limit for the submission: 1000 - 2000 words.
  • Only unpublished works will be considered.
  • Plagiarized entries will be disqualified.
  • All entries must be original and in English.
  • Do not submit entries written by AI tools.
  • No identifying markers are allowed in the document, including the document name.
  • Only one submission per person is allowed.
  • The decision of the jury is final and cannot be challenged.
  • Entries should be typed, double-spaced, in Times New Roman font (12pt), and to be submitted in DOCX, DOC, or PDF format.

What Will You Win?

Rs. 50,000

Rs. 30,000

Rs. 20,000

Hear our English faculty

Dr. Vikram Kapur, Professor & HOD,
and Assistant Professors Dr. Chinmay Sharma and
Dr. Sreejata Paul share details of Crooked Lines.

Important Dates

 

End of July 2025

Call For Submission Opens

15 October 2025

Submission Deadline

14 & 15 November 2025

Literature Festival and Prize-Giving Ceremony

Contact Details

[email protected]

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FAQs

There is no theme for the contest. We encourage you to exhibit your creative best without the limitations of a theme.

There is no submission fee for this year’s contest. However, only one submission per individual is allowed.

We are limiting submissions to one per individual. However, if there is a compelling unified narrative, we are happy to receive your entry.

Yes, this year's competition is for Indian citizens only. Additionally, we require all entrants to submit a Government of India-approved identity proof.

If you want to maximize your chances of winning, we recommend ensuring your entry adheres closely to the 1000-2000-word range.

If your poem(s) tell a story, we would love to read your work.

Yes, we will notify you if you are on our shortlist. Not only that, but we will also invite you to the Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence campus for a day of creative writing workshops with our distinguished jury.

To begin your application, please fill in the required details at the top of the website before submitting your work.