Bio Alison Woodhouse is a writer, teacher and mentor based in the Southwest, currently in her 3rd year of a funded PhD in Creative Writing, exploring polyphony. In 2026, she was awarded a UKRI fellowship to conduct 3-month archival research into the writing process of contemporary authors, including Kazio Ishiguro and Rachel Cusk, at Texas University, Austin. Her short fiction has won a number of competitions, most recently Mslexia, and many other pieces have been placed or shortlisted and are widely published both in print and online. Her debut Novella in Flash, The House on the Corner, was published in 2020 by Ad Hoc Fiction and is available from Amazon in kindle and paperback formats, her flash fiction collection, Family Frames, was published in 2021 by V Press.

We’re delighted that Alison Woodhouse, an award winning multi-genre writer and writing tutor from the UK is judging our next award which closes on Sunday 7th June (in 6 weeks and three days currently). Below, Alison writes about her recent three month research residency in Austin Texas the flash fictions she loves, and about her own writing process, (she has recently been successful in several writing prizes including the Mslexia Flash Fiction Prize and an honourable mention in the Fish Flash Fiction Prize). On this site, you can also read ‘When we Expect Nothing” the flash fiction story from the February Bath Flash Fiction Award which received a special mention. Finally, do check out Alison’s interesting writing prompt at the end of this interview which may spark off a story to enter for the June Award.

Interview

• You have just finished a 3 month research residency at the Harry Ramsden library in Austin Texas. Can you tell us more about it and what your main takeaways are from the research experience.

I was very fortunate to receive funding from the UKRI but when I wrote the proposal I wasn’t entirely sure what I would be doing for 3 months! My plan was to read about the writing processes (through journals/marginalia/edits) of a number of contemporary authors (Kazio Ishiguro, Rachel Cusk, JM Coetzee and Julian Barnes initially) and see what happened. It turned out to be incredibly absorbing and inspiring. I would reread the novels, read the journals and papers in the archives then apply some of the techniques on my own drafts. I felt as if I was in constant dialogue with these other writers as they worked through the fictional problems thrown up by their multiple drafts.

• While you’ve been there, I think as well as your research you have been working on your PHD novel and writing short fiction. Is this a novel in flash fiction?

I’m not sure yet but it’s certainly using a lot of flash techniques and white space ☺ I did use the time to write a number of new flash stories and revise some short stories. I had so much space and time to write, I didn’t want to waste a second!

• You have been successful in securing funding for a PHD at Bath Spa University as well as the prestigious residency. What advice would you give others applying for residencies and funded PhD’s in writing.

Go for it!! Never believe you’re too old or not successful enough (yet!). We all have imposter syndrome but you have to ignore it. And you don’t always need to know everything in advance. Dream as big as you dare.

• Your recent wins (first prize in the Mslexia Flash Fiction Award and a special mention in Bath Flash Fiction Award plus an honourable mention in the Fish Flash Fiction Prize) suggests that you are currently interested in experimental fiction with subtle layers and allusions. Would you say that was the case?

I’ve always enjoyed experimental fiction and I think flash is perfect for this as most of the story happens off the page (the iceberg theory but also the idea of ripples gathering meaning through connections the reader makes). I do work hard at this in my own fiction as I love building resonance and using metaphor and symbolism (there’s a danger of course of going too far and making the story too abstruse or ‘difficult’ and alienating the reader). I also love the sounds words make across a story, how they can echo and gather multiple meanings across the story. But a flash still needs movement so I’m very aware of change occurring between the opening and closing sentences.

• You are running a workshop at the Flash Fiction Festival, 17th to 19th July in Bristol, UK called Reading as Writers. What sort of flash fiction grabs your attention and makes you want to give it close scrutiny?

This is related to the previous answer but a story that holds something back for the reader to discover usually gives me a great deal of reading pleasure. It definitely doesn’t have to be surreal, poetic or mystical; it can be misdirection or comic timing or anything that creates a sense of several things happening at once, adding depth and weight. It’s worth adding that I don’t have to understand everything, it’s not a puzzle I need to solve to feel satisfied, but it does need an internal logic for me to believe it. Having said all that I can really love a story that uses a strong voice, is political, historical, funny, strongly plotted. I guess in the end, I’m always looking for a well written story where I trust the writer and that’s when I want to reread and do a more critical deconstruction, thinking about (marvelling!) how this has been achieved! Especially in 300 words! That’s magic!

• Finally, can you give writers a prompt to spark off a flash fiction story 300 words or less for our award?

Certainly. I’ve talked about the meaning of words and movement as being important elements in flash. For this prompt start off by thinking of a homonym (a word spelt the same but with different meanings ie bank) and write a paragraph for each meaning then a final paragraph where you try and bring it together. Don’t worry if they won’t (although you could write about a financial institution on the side of a river ☺) but this might give you the seed of a place or a tension between meanings that could be fruitful and there’ll be movement inherent in the separate paragraphs. Good luck and I’m really looking forward to reading the longlist!