First Up – It’s three weeks until our 30th Award closes. Our judge this time is award winning writer and editor Marie Gethins from Cork, Ireland. Read our Q & A with her where she also quotes tips (with links) from flash legends Stuart Dybek and Lydia Davis, who she interviewed for the irish flash fiction magazine, Splonk We have £1460 in prizes, double and triple entries are reduced. Results out fast, by the end of June, due to our super-honed judging process. All 50 longlisted authors have a chance to be published in our 2025 Flash Fiction Anthology.
Second up – Our 2024 anthology, which was delayed because of our production editor’s illness, will be back from the printers before the end of the 30th Award and posted out fast to contributors. It contains winners,shortlisted and longlisted stories from the February, June and October Awards. The title story ‘The Constancy of Pigeons’ is by Tracy Fells, award winning writer, editor and reader for major competitions. Tracy is also a team member for the Flash Fiction Festivals UK and she will be reading her story at the festival, where the anthology will now be launched with other readings from contributing authors who are attending which leads me neatly to…
Third up – It’s not long until the Flash Fiction Festival weekend in Bristol we sponser on 18-20th July. Currently there are two places with accommodation left, several camping places and some places without accommodation. Check out the amazing array of workshops, panels and book launches by well-known international writers and teachers We have presenters and participants coming from all over the world, including UK, Ireland, US, Cnada, Australia, United Arab Emirates, India, France, The Netherlands, Cyrpus, Germany There’s a book shop, a bar, good food and it’s held at Trinity College in beautiful grounds in Bristol, pictured here. To book, just fill in a registration form on the booking page of the website and we will send payment details. We’d love to see you there!
Finally, Did you know there’s another fabulous flash fiction event in the South West coming up in June? National Flash Fiction Day UK is launching their Anthology on June 14th which is National Flash Fiction Day (when the legendary FlashFlood also happens. It’s in a handy-to-the-railway station venue in Bath. Hosted by Directors Diane Simmons and Ingrid Jendzrejewski and Anthology Editor Karen Jones. They have a faboulous line up of readers and would love more people to come and listen. Familiar with Flash or not. It is FREE! A Whole Day of Flash Fiction! As well as readings, there are also workshops with Susmita Bhatthacharya and Ingrid Jendzrejewski and a panel hosted by Diane with Kathryn Aldridge-Morris, Karen Jones and me (Jude). Find out more here
In the meantime, happy writing
Jude Higgins
May
