Spring-summer flash fiction competitions 2019

[Updated 27/5/2019] I’m supposed to be working on the first draft of a novel at the moment, so naturally I’m doing anything but. Though not generally a flash fiction writer, I find myself writing one flash after another, in part to get the stories out of my head quickly so as not to distract me for too long (heaven forbid!).

As it’s been a while since my last flash fiction competition list, I thought it was time for another – which in itself has been an excellent exercise in procrastination. I may even send off one or two of my little side projects to some of the competitions listed below.

Because new competitions keep popping up on my Twitter newsfeed, I tend to update my lists fairly regularly. So it’s worth popping back every now and then to see what’s been added.

Good luck, as always!

• Lucent Dreaming Flash Fiction Competition
• Closing date: March 29
• Prize: 1st place £25 or a $30 Amazon giftcard, publication on the Lucent Dreaming website or in the magazine, limited edition Lucent Dreaming merchandise; 2nd place £10 or a $15 Amazon giftcard and publication on the website
• Theme: ‘Lead’
• Word limit: 400-800 words
• Entry fee: free to enter, multiple entries. Open internationally

Does this spark any ideas?

• Retreat West Themed Flash Fiction Competition
• Closing date: March 31
• Prize: 1st place £200, two runners-up will receive £100 each. All three will be published on the Retreat West website
• Word limit: 500 words
• Theme: ‘Fire’ (plus three more comps coming up later in the year with the respective themes ‘Wind’, ‘Water’ and ‘Earth’)
• Entry fee: £8 per entry, multiple entries permitted. Open internationally

• The TSS International Flash Fiction Competition
• Closing date: March 31
• Prizes: 1st place £400 and a nomination for the Best Small Fiction Awards, 2nd place £100, 3rd place £50 plus online and print publication for all three. Up to five further flash fictions will be highly commended and published online. They will also receive £25 each. The three winning flashes will be published in a chapboook within 12 months of the spring competition, and the writers will be interviewed by TSS Publishing about their flash fiction and their writing more generally
• Word limit: 400 words
• Theme: none
• Entry fee: £5 per entry, multiple entries permitted. Open internationally

• The Bangor Literary Journal 40-word Competition
• Closing date: April 10
• Prizes: a framed certificate and a piece of original artwork. The winner will be featured in issue 8 of The Bangor Literary Journal, along with a feature about the writer. There will be the opportunity to read at the issue launch event at The Blackberry Path Art Studios, Bangor, Co Down. There will also be other reading opportunities in 2019. The runner-up will also be published in the issue, receive a certificate and be offered reading opportunities. There will also be a commended and highly commended list for each category, with reading opportunities
• Word limit: 40 words (or less!)
• Theme: none
• Entry fee: £3.50 for one entry, £6 for two, £10 for three. Doesn’t say whether it’s open internationally, but the prize is very dependent on attending the events

Scottish Arts Club in Edinburgh

• Edinburgh International Flash Fiction Award 2019
• Closing date: April 30
• Prizes: 1st place £500, trophy and a dedicated page on the Scottish Arts Club website promoting the writer’s work. The Scottish Arts Club will present one year’s free membership of the club to the winner and two commended writers. There also will be an invitation for the three finalists to participate in the Scottish Arts Club Short Story Awards Dinner to be held in October at the Scottish Arts Club in Edinburgh
• Word limit: 250 words
• Theme: none
• Entry fee: £5 per flash, multiple entries permitted. Open internationally

Judge Claire Fuller

• Reflex Fiction Summer Flash Fiction Competition
• Closing date: May 31
• Prizes: 1st place £1,000, 2nd place £500, 3rd place £250. All longlisted stories will be eligible for publication in the annual print anthology. Featured authors will receive a free copy. The judge is novelist Claire Fuller
• Word limit: 180-360 words
• Theme: none
• Entry fee: One entry £7, two entries £12, three entries £15. Open internationally

• Bridport Flash Fiction Prize
• Closing date: May 31
• Prizes: 1st place £1,000, 2nd place £500, 3rd place £250. Three highly commended stories will each be awarded £100
• Word limit: 250 words
• Theme: none
• Entry fee: £9 per story, multiple entries permitted. Open internationally

• Bath Flash Fiction Award
• Closing date: June 9
• Prizes: 1st place £1,000, 2nd place £300, 3rd place £100. Two commendations win £30 each. 50 longlisted entrants will be offered publication in the end of year print and digital anthology
• Word limit: 300 words
• Theme: none
• Entry fee: 1/2/3 early-bird entries cost £7.50, £12 £18 respectively until April 14. Thereafter it’s £9, £15, £18. Open internationally

‘Are we there yet?’

• 2019 FlashBack Fiction Summer Microfiction Competition
• Closing date: June 16
• Prizes: 1st place £25, 2nd place £15, 3rd place £10. The three prize-winning stories and selected runners-up will be published in the excellent FlashBack Fiction historical literary journal during the lead up to the anniversary of the Moon Landing, with the winning piece revealed on July 19.
• Word limit: 100 words
• Theme: ‘The Moon’, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing. Do read the guidelines for what they are looking for
• Entry fee: the first entry is free, £3 per entry thereafter. Open internationally

• Grindstone Literary 2019 International Flash Fiction Prize
• Closing date: June 28
• Prizes: 1st place £500, publication in an anthology and personalised feedback from the judges. 2nd place £50. Shortlisted writers will be published in an anthology. The website says that all entrants will receive some feedback on their entry!
• Word limit: 500 words
• Theme: none
• Entry fee: £8 per entry, multiple entries permitted. Open internationally

• Bray Literary Festival Flash Fiction Competition
• Closing date: July 31
• Prize: 1st place €300, 2nd place €50 and weekend festival pass (September 27-29), 3rd place weekend festival pass. Winners and runners-up will be invited to read at the prize-giving event in the Town Hall, Bray, on Culture Night, Sept 20
• Word limit: 500 words
• Theme: none
• Entry fee: €5 for one entry, €10 for three entries (there’s also a poetry category and you can mix and match). Open internationally

• Lennox Robinson 100-word Short Story Award 2019
• Closing date: August 10
• Prize: €100. The prize will be presented at a special event in Douglas Library, Cork, in October
• Word limit: 100 words
• Theme: must relate in some way to the work of Cork playwright Lennox Robinson
• Entry fee: free to enter. Open internationally

• Earlyworks Press Flash Fiction Competition 2019
• Closing date: August 30
• Prize: 1st place £100. The best 20 or more entries will be published in an anthology, and the authors will receive one complimentary copy
• Word limit: 100 words (including title)
• Theme: none
• Entry fee: £4 per story, £16 for six stories. Appears to be open internationally

Photos: Pixabay.com; StockSnap.io

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