Sci-Fi Short Story Competition Winners Announced
Winners of the EnDROIDS Short Story Competition will be featured in an upcoming anthology.
25 February 2026
The winners of a short story competition held by one of the School of Computing’s research groups have been announced.
The competition was hosted by the EnDROIDS (Engineering DNA-based Data Structure Organoids) research project, a Royal Academy of Engineering-funded initiative led by the School’s Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex BioSystems research group. EnDROIDS is a 10-year project combining elements of computer science, biology and nanotechnology, investigating how DNA could be used as a sustainable, long-term information medium while considering the environmental and ethical implications of storing data in this way.
The competition was designed to raise awareness of DNA data storage through science fiction. Participants were invited to submit a short story of up to 2,000 words on the theme of DNA data storage as an emerging technology. Entries were judged by a panel of academics, alongside local science fiction author Hannah Hoare, who wrote two stories inspired by the theme to launch the campaign.
Lenka Pelechova, lead social science researcher on the EnDROIDS project, said: “A key focus of the project is to make advanced research into DNA-based data storage accessible and inspiring to a wide audience. Using creative writing and storytelling is an excellent way to communicate complex ideas to non-experts, and it was exciting to see how writers from across the world used these ideas to create some excellent speculative fiction.”
Three top entries were selected based on their originality, storytelling, and engagement with the theme. These authors will receive a cash prize and be featured in an anthology comprising 17 stories selected from the competition. The anthology, illustrated by globally recognised artist Irina Petrova, will celebrate creative public engagement with emerging data technologies.
The top three winners were:
- Killing the Light by Owen Seth
- Commonality by Fiona Mossman
- Long Since Long Ago by Jonny Aldridge
The anthology is expected to be published in Spring 2026.
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