Cherise Saywell wins 2026 BBC National Short Story Award for 'Ditto'

Edinburgh-based Cherise Saywell has won the 2026 BBC National Short Story Award for 'Ditto'. The winner receives £15,000, according to The Guardian. The announcement came at BBC Broadcasting House. 'Ditto' follows a boy who calls police from a telephone box when his mother is threatened. Shortlisted stories appear in a Comma Press anthology, a single-volume collection, and on BBC Sounds.