September 1, 2026 – More than 3,100 entries were submitted to the contest this year, and starting today, the best works from the “Stop for a Short Story” contest await readers at the country’s busiest bus and streetcar stops. Year after year, the goal of this initiative is to fill those moments of waiting with reading and to make everyday public transportation more enjoyable with short stories.
“The display showed five minutes. Five minutes. You’d think that’s nothing. Especially if you’re a regular public transit user. You can’t even brew a decent cup of coffee in five minutes. You can barely manage a soft-boiled egg”—this is the opening thought of this year’s winning short story, *Five Minutes*. Once again, the submitted entries highlight familiar moments in their stories: a wait, a meeting, a relationship, or an everyday decision.
JCDecaux’s “Stop for a Short Story” contest has once again stirred up the country: a total of 3,120 entries were submitted to the competition, and 20 works made it onto the shortlist this year as well. The top 20 short stories are the work of 18 authors, as two writers each have two stories among the finalists. This year is not only about double entries but also about comebacks: a finalist from last year and an author who won a special prize in 2021 have both made it back into the top ranks.
The first-place winner of this year’s contest was Bence Álmos Kiss, who won over the jury with his short story titled “Five Minutes.” Second place went to Péter Palotai for his short story “The Boy in Carrot-Print Pants Programs Our Shared Future,” and third place went to Donáta Batta for her short story “Ingredients.”
Once again, the best entries were selected by a panel of experts. Alongside Krisztián Grecsó, an Attila József Prize-winning writer, the entries were evaluated by Miklós H. Vecsei, a Junior Prima Prize-winning actor, director, and writer; Orsolya Stefanie Ludvig, spokesperson for Libri; and Tímea Jamniczky, CEO of JCDecaux Hungary.
“Reading the submissions is a special experience for me every year, because time and again I discover that even a single page is enough to make me think or bring a smile to my face. I really love that these stories truly speak to everyone as they make their way into the city and accompany people on their journeys,” said Tímea Jamniczky, CEO of JCDecaux Hungary.
“It was as if all emotions had been unleashed. This year, more short stories celebrated life; I had the feeling that the long post-COVID depression, the death wish, and the sense of loneliness had eased. On the other hand, existential anxiety, politics, and the hopelessness of everyday life brought much more passion to the texts. “The stories that stood out this year were either very deliberate or instinctive; they were brimming with joy, anger, and emotion,” said Krisztián Grecsó, the jury chair, about this year’s short stories.
As the main sponsor of the contest, Libri Bookstores once again awarded a special prize this year to the most talented author under the age of 25; the award went to Barbara Czebei for her short story Rigószív.
In addition to the jury’s decision, readers’ opinions will count again this year: from among the 20 short stories on display, readers can once again choose the audience favorite. Voting runs through October 1; until then, anyone can cast their vote at novella.jcdecaux.hu.
The stories don’t end at the stop. Once again this year, readers can encounter the finalist short stories not only at bus and streetcar stops: they also come to life as a podcast, narrated by Panna Balázsy and Miklós H. Vecsei.
Which one is your favorite? The public vote is already underway—cast your vote and listen to the short stories!
