Announcing the Shortlist for the 3rd Annual Short Story Contest

Written By Colin Mustful

History Through Fiction is proud to share the shortlist for our Third Annual Short Story Contest!

This year, we received 110 submissions from historical fiction writers around the world. Every entry was carefully reviewed by our editors and evaluated by one of our dedicated volunteer judges, each of whom provided direct feedback to the author. Last month, we narrowed down the submissions to 35 stories still in consideration for the shortlist. Today, we’re delighted to announce the 10 stories that make up this year’s shortlist, all of which will be publishing in our forthcoming anthology.

What’s Next?

  • November 15, 2025: Announcement of the grand prize winner ($250) and runner-up ($150).

  • March 3, 2026: Release of our second annual anthology, featuring all shortlisted stories.

And now, here is the 2025 Shortlist:

Lucky by Zena Ryder
The God of Sight by Morgan Want
The Presbyterian Settee by Rob Hardy
The Bright Leaf Legacy by Jacqueline Van Hoewyk
The Blood of Englishmen by Cecil Beckett
Diary of an Empire by Shay Galloway
Body #311 by Christopher DeWitt
San Francisco Is Buckled, San Francisco Is Burning by Rachel Henderson
No Shelter by Nicole M. Babb
The Violinist by Ezra Harker Shaw

Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors, and thank you to everyone who shared their work with us this year!

Colin Mustful

Colin Mustful is the founder and editor of History Through Fiction, an independent press dedicated to publishing historical narratives rooted in factual events and compelling characters. A celebrated author and historian whose novel “Reclaiming Mni Sota” recently won the Midwest Book Award for Literary/Contemporary/Historical Fiction, Mustful has penned five historical novels that delve into the complex eras of settler-colonialism and Native American displacement. Combining his interests in history and writing, Mustful holds a Master of Arts in history and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. Residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he enjoys running, playing soccer, and believes deeply in the power of understanding history to shape a just and sustainable future.

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