One of our goals at Bath Flash Fiction is to promote the reading and writing of flash fiction. In past years, we’ve sponsored, along with Ad Hoc Fiction, the face-to-face flash fiction festivals in Bath and Bristol. This year, our founder, Jude Higgins, organised The Great festival Flash Off, a fun series of festival days running from March 2021 to August 2021. This was a very popular series, with great workshops, talks, readings and contests and because it was online, it was accessible to a world wide audience. The final prize from this first series – The Winner of Winners cash prizes from the festival writing challenges has been announced today. And a festival anthology from the series will be published by Ad Hoc Fiction early next year.

To take us through the winter beginning with a day on October 30th, we’re sponsoring, The Great Festival Throw Down another series of five festival days again with workshops, talks and readings and another contest. It costs only £30 from 11.00 am – 6.30 pm GMT for access to everything and there are several free places for those for whom cost is a barrier on each of the days. The ‘Throw Down’ title refers to the theme of the monthly cash prize flash fiction contest for flashes of emotional resonance, inspired by the judge of the Great British Throw Down a TV pottery contest show where the judge is often moved to tears by people’s efforts. It’s definitely worth looking at the video clips of him here. Each month, the winner receives £30 cash prize and one of the mugs pictured.

On the first day, October 30th as well as the contest, there is a one and half hour workshop on writing the 100 word story with Tommy Dean; Crimnally Short, half an hour on writing flash crime fiction with Tania Hershman; a Hermit Crab Hangout with Jude Higgins focussing on spells and superstitions (for Halloween), Between The Woods and the Water, a nature inspired workshop with Electra Rhodes, yoga stretches for writers with Sudha Balagopal,a talk on compiling their flash fiction collectionsfrom Sara Hills and Alison Woodhouse; themed reading slots from invited festival participants, and chats with friends. Check out all details at the Festival website and hope to see you there!