BBC Radio 4: Opening Lines

A project of BBC (see other related projects).

This project is on indefinite hiatus. Check their site to find out whether this is a submission and/or publication hiatus.

About

The BBC Radio Drama Readings Unit welcomes unsolicited submissions from writers new to radio for their annual series, Opening Lines, which is broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Country of Publication

United Kingdom

Publication Medium & Frequency

Audio Publication Audio Publication: Unknown publication frequency

Fiction On Hiatus

We are looking for original short stories which work being read out loud i.e. with a strong emphasis on narrative and avoiding too much dialogue, character description and digression. Pay particular attention to how the story opens and closes. We’ll be looking to see whether the beginning of a story successfully links to how it ends. We are interested in seeing stories which cover a broad range of subject-matter but material which explores particularly dark, harrowing themes is not best suited to Opening Lines.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,900 - 2,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

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BBC Radio 4: Opening Lines Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

Your Submissions

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Afternoon Reading DNQ
BBC National Short Story Award

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Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026