Zindagi Ke Panne 2026 Story Competition by Penguin Swadesh & Amar Ujala [Book Publication]: Submit by Oct 7

Penguin Swadesh and Amar Ujala are inviting original Hindi stories for the “Zindagi Ke Panne 2026” Story Competition. Writers aged 21–40 can submit a 2,000–2,500-word story on the theme “Pyaar Ke Rang.” Selected stories will be published as a book by Penguin Swadesh.

About Penguin Swadesh

Penguin Swadesh is the Indian-languages imprint of Penguin Random House India. It publishes fiction, non-fiction, children’s literature and other works in Indian languages, with a significant focus on Hindi publishing.

About Amar Ujala

Amar Ujala is a Hindi-language newspaper and digital news organisation in India. It covers national, regional, educational, cultural and public-interest subjects.

About the Competition

“Zindagi Ke Panne 2026” is a story-writing competition jointly presented by Penguin Swadesh and Amar Ujala.

The competition invites emerging and experienced writers to submit stories that explore human emotions and experiences through the theme “Pyaar Ke Rang,” or “Colours of Love.”

Selected stories will be compiled and published as a book by Penguin Swadesh.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to writers between 21 and 40 years of age.

The announcement does not specify any educational qualification, professional-writing experience or residency requirement.

Theme

The theme for the 2026 competition is:

“Pyaar Ke Rang” — Colours of Love

Writers may explore love through relationships, friendship, family, memory, sacrifice, companionship or other original interpretations, provided the submitted story remains relevant to the theme.

Submission Guidelines

• The story must contain between 2,000 and 2,500 words.
• The work must be original and unpublished.
• The participant must clearly state in the submission email that the story is original and unpublished.
• The story should address the theme “Pyaar Ke Rang.”
• Entries must be submitted by email.
• The official poster does not specify the required document format, font, formatting style or limit on the number of submissions.
• Participants should keep a copy of their submitted story and email for their records.

Click here to check the complete competition announcement before submitting.

Selection Process

Stories will be evaluated by a joint panel of judges appointed by Penguin Swadesh and Amar Ujala.

The decision of the judges will be final and binding in the event of any dispute.

Publication and Awards

Selected stories will receive the following:

• Inclusion in a story collection published by Penguin Swadesh.
• A fixed payment from the publisher.
• A certificate of recognition from Amar Ujala.

The announcement does not disclose the amount of the payment, the number of stories to be selected or the proposed publication date.

How to Submit?

Interested writers should email their original story to:

Email: PRHI_AU_StoryCompetition@penguinrandomhouse.in

The email should include:

1. The participant’s story.
2. The writer’s name and contact details.
3. Age or date-of-birth information demonstrating eligibility.
4. A declaration that the submitted story is original and unpublished.

Since no prescribed email subject has been announced, participants may use a clear subject such as:

Zindagi Ke Panne 2026 Submission – [Story Title] – [Writer’s Name]

Submission Deadline

The last date to submit a story is October 7, 2026.

The announcement does not specify a closing time or time zone. Participants should therefore email their entries before the final day.

Click here to read the announcement and submission details.