Author Archives: Jude

February 2024 Round Up

Another leap year and another BFFA Award completed. Thank you all those who entered. 34 countries this time and 1010 entries.

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia

As usual, there was a flood of stories near the end and a lot of writers picked up the Last Minute Club Badge on the final day, February 5th. Someone said it was the colour of a Cadbury’s Caramac bar. Tasty!
We appreciate everyone for submitting, early or later. Read in Full

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Launches of The Weather Where You Are and Flash Fiction Festival anthology, Vol 6

The weather where we were at the launch of BFFA Volume eight was stormy, but the party in St James Wine Vaults, Bath, where we launched both anthologies was wonderful. Seventeen people came to read. We heard winning, shortlisted and longlisted stories from The Weather Where You Are by Sara HIlls, Mairead Robinson, James Ellis, Mark Barlex, Kathryn Eldridge-Morris, Nick Havergal, Lotty Talbutt, Alison Woodhouse and Sophie Hampton

Stories in the Flash Fiction Festival Anthology Vol Six, were read by authors Michael Loveday, Kathryn Aldridge Morris, Grace Palmer, Jude Higgins, John Wheway, Damhnait Monaghan, Diane Simmons, Sara Hills Cole Beauchamp, Sara Hills and Anna M Wang. So many brilliant stories in both anthologies and it was so good hearing them read out loud.

As you can see from these lists some authors had a story in both anthologies and read them both and Mark Barlex read two of his stories which were listed in different rounds of the 2023 BFFA Awards.

We had a cake (pictured above ) with a cover showing part of the cover of each anthology to celebrate, along with wine and snacks. There was also a raffle of festival anthologies and other Ad Hoc Fiction books plus two bottles of Argentinian red wine kindly donated by Cole Beauchamp.

The twenty sixth round of BFFA is being judged this month and the new Award will open March 1st. Everyone longlisted in this and the other two awards in 2024 will be offered publication and a free copy of the book when it is printed at the end of the year. Everyone coming to the 2024 Flash Fiction Festival will also be able submit stories to be considered for publication in the seventh (violet coloured) edition of the rainbow series of Festival anthologies.

Booking for the 2024 Flash Fiction Festival weekend we sponsor, 12-14th July is open now. More details at flashfictionfestival.com

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February 2024 Long List

Congratulations to all the authors who have made our Award long list and huge thanks to all who entered.

Author names are yet to be announced, so while it is fine to share that you are on the long list, we do ask that you do not identify yourself with your particular fiction at this stage.

Important
We receive many many entries, and occasionally some entries have the same title. We are in the process of sending an offer of publication email to all authors on the long list. Please do not assume you are on the long list unless you have received that publication offer. If in doubt, contact us.

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February 2024 Last Minute Club Badge!

The Last Minute Club is open! Our 26th Award closes today, Sunday 4th February at midnight. Prizes £1000 first, £300 second, £100 third prize £30 for two runners up. One entry £9.00. Two entries £15.00, Three entries £18.00. Anthology publication offer for all fifty longlisted in our 2024 BFFA Anthology. Up to 300 words. Judge Susmita Bhattacharya from the Uk. Read her judge’s interview here. Results out by end of Feb. Enter here.

Here is the last minute club badge that John at Ad Hoc Fiction created again for the 26th Award. Green and pale brown Anyone entering today should get one with their entry confirmation.

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Last MInute Club Badges. Coming soon!

Thanks again to all flash fiction writers, for your support for our Bath Flash Fiction Awards. Our readers are very busy reading your entries for the 26th Award which closes this Sunday 4th February at midnight GMT. For up to 300 word flash fiction. Entry costs: £9.00 one entry £15 two entries £18 three entries. Prizes £1000 first prize, £300 second prize, £100 third prize, £30 each for two runners up. All fifty longlisted stories are offered publication in our 2024 print anthology and posted world wide. Top stories are always nominated for Best Small Fictions The Best of the Net and The Pushcart Prize.This round is being judged by award winning writer Susmita Bhattacharya

To remind everyone, The Last Minute Club, for intrepid flash fictioneers is only open on the final day. Anyone entering on Sunday 4th February will receive a (virtual) Last Minute Club badge. Everyone loves badges don’t they? Our mini-competition to guess the colour of the badge is open on X and Facebook tomorrow, Saturday 3rd Feb. The first person to guess the colour (or colour comibation of the new badge will receive either one of the 2023 Bath Flash Fiction anthologies Vol 8. Or the new Flash Fiction Festival Anthology. We often give prizes to two people for near guesses. You won’t know the colour until first thing on Sunday morning. Read in Full

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Flash Fiction Festival Weekend, 12-14 July in Bristol UK. Booking Open!

A busy week! It’s the final weekend to enter our 26th Award judged by Susmita Bhattacharyya. The deadline is midnight GMT, Sunday 4th February. Results out on 29th Feburary. All fifty on the longlist will be offered publication in our eighth anthology. Copies posted worldwide.
Double and triple entries reduced. £1460 in prizes.

And for more excitement, booking for the packages at the seventh flash fiction festival we’ve sponsored, 12th -14th July, in Bristol UK is now open.

There are four different flash fiction festival booking options, two for a place with accommodation and meals, one for a place with meals but no accommodation and one for a place only. There are 29 fantastic workshops and panels by presenters from the UK the USA, Canada Germany, Italy, Cyprus and Ireland to choose from in seven different slots during Saturday and Sunday. And there are readings, book launches on Friday and Saturday nights, a book shop, a bar with karaoke and plenty of space to socialise in the beautiful grounds of Trinity College! On the flash fiction festival site, check out the gallery of pictures from 2023 to get a sense of the atmosphere Read in Full

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Using Tarot to Inspire Flash: Anna M Wang

    Anna M Wang is a Bristol based author and librarian. Her novella in flash, Prodigal (runner up Bath Flash Fiction Novella in Flash Award 2023), is currently available through Ad Hoc fiction and Amazon. Her writing examines the introspective, the interpersonal, mental health, surrealism and femininity.

    She’s recently begun organising a community project on the subject of Tarot Cards, and is eager to showcase a variety of voices and styles. Read in Full

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Eight BFFA Anthologies Published since 2016!

Two weeks to go until the deadline our 26th Award on Sunday February 4th. (Judge Susmita Bhattacharya) and the first chance to be offered pubication in our 2024, anthology, the ninth one in the series. Fifty longlisted authors are offered publication in each round of the award. Feb, June and October and then the book is compiled.

We’ve published nearly 900 stories since the first volume was published. Cover images and links to picture galleries of all eight anthologies are below with links to pictures of the books when they arrived with the authors, or to book launches and interviews.

Our eighth anthology from the 2023 Awards The Weather Where You Are is still on its way to some people and we’ll post a gallery up soon!

  • Vol One: To Carry Her Home, title story by Christopher Allen
  • Vol Two, The Lobsters Run Free, Title story by Anna Geary Meyer
  • Vol Three: Things Lost and Found by The Side of The Road, title story by Jo Gatford
  • Vol Four With One Eye on the Cows, title story by Annette Edwards-Hill
  • Vol five Restore to Factory Settings, title story by J A Keogh
  • Vol Six, Snow Crow, title story by Doug Ramspeck
  • Vol Seven Dandelion Years, title story by Joanki Ray
  • Vol Eight The Weather Where You Are, title story by William Davidson
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    25 BFFA 1st prize stories 2016-2023

    There’s just under three weeks left before Sunday February 4th, the deadline of our 25th Award judged by UK based writer, Susmita Bhattacharya, and I’m reposting a list I made a couple of years ago of all our first prize wins, linked to judge’s comments and author interviews and put into categories of subject matter and theme. There are four more first prize wins now. One other thing to consider if you read the stories — our Award word limit is 300 words but we welcome very short micros too. This might be of interest to those who recently subbed 100 word pieces for the Welkin prize. One of our first prize winners, Tying the Boats by Amanda 0’Callaghan from 2017 is just 180 words long. Read in Full

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