John Brantingham was going to judge the February 2026 (32nd) Award but I’ve switched him to judge in October because circumstances mean February doesn’t work for him anymore. I am delighted and very grateful that Ingrid Jendzrejewski has agreed to step in at the last minute and judge for us.

Below,are some answers to questions I asked her about her writing, National Flash Fiction Day,UK, her projects and what she likes about flash fiction and looks for in competition entries.

Ingrid Jendrzejewski is a co-director of National Flash Fiction Day. She currently serves as the Editor in Chief of FlashBack Fiction, was a flash editor at JMWW, and has served as both non-fiction editor and editor-in-chief of the Evansville Review. She has published over 100 shortform pieces and has won multiple flash fiction competitions, including the Bath Flash Fiction Award and the A Room of Her Own Foundation’s Orlando Prize for Flash Fiction. Her short collection Things I Dream About When I’m Not Sleeping was a runner up for BFFA’s first Novella-in-Flash competition. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Vestal Review’s VERA Award, and multiple times for Best Small Fictions.

Q & A

• Thank you for stepping in at this late stage to judge our 32nd Award in what will be the first busy month for the team at National Flash Fiction Day, where you are co-director with Diane Simmons. I know you are not so involved with the anthology and the micro competition, but are very involved later on with FlashFlood and the Write-In. Can you tell us a bit more about those events and how they have evolved over the years?

Thank you so much for inviting me; Bath Flash Fiction is close to my heart, so being able to give back to the community in this way means so much to me. And yes, there’s a lot going on with National Flash Fiction Day which you can read more about here.
National Flash Fiction Day was founded in 2012 by Cally Ann Kerr, who then passed the baton to me and Diane in 2018. We’ve aimed to stay true to the project’s original vision of inspiring shortform writing and building a positive, encouraging flash fiction community whilst finding ways to grow sustainably as more and more authors embrace the flash fiction form. I’m thrilled to be a part of it all because National Flash Fiction Day provided some of my first publication opportunities when I was starting out.

FlashFlood is an unusual project in that there is only one week of submissions a year and then all the selected work gets published over the course of 24 hours with a new flash appearing every five to ten minutes on National Flash Fiction Day (scheduled for 13 June this year). It truly is a flood, both for the small band of volunteer editors and for readers alike! When I first came on board as an editor, the challenge was to make sure we got enough solid work to fill all the slots. Since then, the number of submissions we receive has exploded and even though we’ve nearly doubled the number of available slots, the journal has become much more selective…so much so that we now ringfence slots for debut flash writers to make sure we maintain space for new voices.

We also re-started The Write-In so that there would be another welcoming place for both new and seasoned writers alike. At The Write-In, we post multiple prompts during National Flash Fiction Day and writers have the weekend to draft a response and, if they choose, submit it to The Write-In for possible publication. We publish a selection of the responses in the days that follow. Our aim is to inspire new work and also create space for both new and seasoned writers to share their work. I participated in The Write-In when I was first exploring flash as a form, but it was discontinued soon after. When we decided to restart it, I wasn’t sure whether there would be enough interest to sustain the project, but I was blown away by the response and it continues to grow each year. We now publish a few hundred responses each NFFD week.

It’s worth noting that all of National Flash Fiction Day’s activities and sister projects are run by different teams of brilliant, generous, talented volunteers to whom we are ever so grateful.

• You won Bath Flash Fiction Award in 2016 with ‘Roll and Curl’, a story selected by judge Tania Hershman that I find very memorable and you also were a runner up in the inaugural Novella in Flash Award with your beautiful short novella, Things I Dream About When I’m Not Sleeping. Just recently you won the online Flash Fiction festival November contest with ‘Swim’, a CNF piece, an equally memorable story about swimming. I am aware family matters have taken up much of your time in recent years but do you have any writing projects on the go?

I do indeed! I’ve developed the novella Skunk that was longlisted for the Bath Flash Fiction Novella-in-Flash Award in 2023; that’s currently under consideration, alongside some other collections of flash and poetry. I’ve been slowly trying to rebuild my creative practice and write through some of the grief that I am just beginning to process. I’ve been writing a lot of haiku as well as shortform prose, and have even been dabbling with a somewhat-novel-shaped object.

During the pandemic, my sister wrote a short series How to Write When You Don’t Feel Like It for the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis, which, after her cancer diagnosis, she adapted and shared with National Flash Fiction Day. You can read it here.I am finding her words of encouragement, compassion and inspiration such a gift.

• The workshop you run for the flash fiction festivals both online and in person are always inspirational. You add an incredible amount of resources on the subject you are teaching and use slide presentations very effectively. Is teaching and preparing for teaching writing, something you particularly like doing and have you any workshops coming up that people can join?

Thank you so much for the kind words! I absolutely love creating workshops and knowledge sharing with other writers. Honestly, I find the process incredibly valuable for myself as preparing for a workshop gives me an excuse to take a step back and spend some time really drilling down into aspects of craft, genre, style or structure that end up, I’m sure, benefitting my own writing and process. It’s so thrilling when I hear that a seed planted in one of my workshops has taken hold for someone…I often get more excited about a workshop-generated piece getting published than I do when my own work gets picked up! Writing can be a solitary pursuit, and there’s something absolutely magical about creative cross-pollination.

I’ve got a new workshop on Microfiction with SmokeLong Quarterly coming up here: https://www.smokelong.com/smokelongs-march-micro-marathon-2026. I’m also looking forward to giving an experimental workshop, ‘Writing with the Whole Body’ at the Flash Fiction Festival 17-19 July, 2026.Details about this will be posted at flashfictionfestival.com when the festival is open for booking next month.

• What excites you about flash fiction and what, for you, would make a standout entry?

I love the creative possibilities of the flash form. A short piece can carry all manner of experiment and play that might collapse or grow wearisome in a longer piece. And I love the craft and care required for such a compressed form. Flash combines the craftsmanship of poetry with the of storytelling — a gorgeous combination.

Personally, I love it when a flash takes risks, plays with form, delves into unusual territory, or pulls off that oh-so-difficult trick of writing a story that is both nuanced and joyful. Personal tastes aside, when reading for a competition, I try to approach each piece with fresh eyes and not front-load my reading experience with expectations: my aim is to let each flash speak for itself and guide my journey through it. I try my best to meet each piece on its own terms.

• The closing date for this round of BFFA is on February 1st. Can you give us favourite editing tips?

I’m a big believer in sticking drafts in a drawer to let them marinate for a while, then revisiting them with fresh eyes once one’s mind has moved on to other things. Whilst the occasional story drops onto the page nearly print-ready, the vast majority benefit from time and care. I often read really good pieces that I think could have been absolutely phenomenal with a little more attention…and I definitely have pieces of my own that I regret publishing too early.
That being said, when working to a deadline, anything that can get one to look at a story from a different angle can shortcut some of that waiting. Some tricks that can work well include having another person or the computer read the story to you out loud, printing out the piece in different onts or reading it in print or on a screen (whatever you do least), reading the piece backwards from the last sentence to the first, and rewriting the flash out by hand (as it forces you to slow down a bit and think about every word choice). With my own work, I find it valuable to do a pass through a piece in which I query every single word, sentence, paragraph break, punctuation mark, etc. and ask myself whether it is pulling its weight in the story, and whether it could be either deleted without regret or replaced with something better.

Finally, for me, I find it essential to read my work out loud — not just in my head — several times before hitting that ‘submit’ button. I have regretted it every time I’ve neglected this step!

• And if writers are going for a last minute, written from scratch, entry, what would you advise for them to attend to before sending off?

For last-minute entries, I think it’s even more critical to explore beyond the common themes…stories about death, abuse, cancer, dementia, break-ups, etc. are so common it can be hard to bring something completely new to these topics without some serious work.

A new idea about some off-the-wall theme can supercharge your imagination and give your writing wings…and can also be a real gift for your readers. I know that when I’m faced with a reading queue full of variations on dark topics, even if every single one is gorgeously written, nuanced, and perfectly structured, it can feel like such a treat to encounter a story about something completely unexpected – something about axolotls or tax preparation or solar rain, say – anything outside the box. Almost everyone has some sort of unique or unusual hobby, job experience, knowledge base or passion…I love it when writers use this material in their writing, telling stories that no one else can tell, either by introducing an unfamiliar topic or by approaching a common theme from an usual angle.

I’d also recommend leaving enough time to edit edit edit edit edit, and I think it’s worth spending however much time it takes to think of a title that works for and not against your flash. It breaks my heart when a story loses out because of a rushed title.

Thank you again for inviting me to read for Bath Flash Fiction, Jude. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what stories are in store for me…. Happy writing, everyone!

Stop Press: John was going to judge the February (32nd Award) but is unable now to judge this round and will now be judging our 34th Award in October 2026 instead. Read the new interview with Ingrid Jendzrejewski, who is now our 32nd Award judge

Thank you. It was a huge honor, and I was exposed to so many beautiful novellas-in-flash. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the talent. I don’t think I read a single bad one.

• You always have a lot of projects on the go. Recently you have been the recipient of the Gone Back to the Wild project in New York State to write 100 word stories about the wilderness in Western New York. Can you tell us a bit more about the project?. How is that going ? I think you have a couple of books being published that have arisen from it.

It’s good. The first book Gone Back to Wild is out. The second one Slowly through the Grove will be out soon both from Arroyo Seco Press. I’m grateful to the press and the New York State Council on the Arts. I’m writing 100 pieces for each book and each piece is exactly 100 words. The process draws out memories and emotions that I didn’t know I had. Basically I compose all of them as Italian sonnets and then slowly take them out of that form and transform them into prose poems or vignettes depending on the subject matter. That way they have a kind of underlying music, or so I hope.

I’m writing about the natural world of Western New York. When I say, New York, people think of the city. But I live in a rural community maybe 8 hours from the city. I’m near Pennsylvania in Northern Appalachia. Think maple forests and Amish people and corn farms. There are so few people here that I can wander the woods in joyful isolation and meditate. It’s a forest full of whitetail deer and bears and woodchucks. That’s what the collections are about, the meditation and radical wonder that comes with intentional isolation.

• Have you any new projects coming up?

I do. I’m working on a zuihitsu project, which is a Japanese form that’s hybrid prose and poetry. It’s essentially a journal that rambles. I’ve been rereading and studying the Romantic poets and artists in the UK and their influence beyond, and I’m writing about them in relation to Appalachia, trying to see beyond the stereotypes associated with this area. I’m not sure if your British readers are aware of those stereotypes, but this place and these people are often denigrated, but the beauty that universally exists throughout the earth in all people and places exists here as well, and taking the time to see it is an act of spirituality. That’s what I hope to accomplish with these pieces.

• We’d love to know about your different asynchronous classes on poetry, flash fiction levels one and two, memoir and building a career in the small presses. They sound very exciting and good value. Are the flash fiction ones suitable for anyone who hasn’t written flash before?

Yes, I have two levels of those classes, a basic class for people who have never written flash and a more advanced class for people wanting to write novellas-in-flash. I have video taped lectures with students and then we follow up with one-on-one personal manuscript reviews. I think people like the manuscript reviews the most. I love working with people, so please contact me if you’re interested!

• What, for you, makes a winning fiction of 300 words or less

An extraordinary point-of-view. We all have that, but we often don’t realize how our points-of-view are astounding to other people. The pieces that capture me are the thoughts of people I have never fully contemplated before. So they see a place differently from me or they understand a concept in a new way.

I love to show people my Appalachia for example and then have them show me theirs. What we get from that is a new vision and now entry into humanity. Its a way to develop my compassion and empathy. It’s what masters like Meg Pokrass, Pamela Painter, and you too Jude give to us.

• What do you think writers most need to pay attention to before they submit?

Blocking out all the voices who told them that the way they see the world is the wrong way. Often, I see well-crafted pieces that are essentially like work that came before. When I taught at a college in Long Beach California, unsurprisingly a lot of the students wanted to write like Bukowski because he was around. His voice often dominated their experience, but I didn’t want his experience. He was all right, but I was much more interested in seeing how they saw the world.

• As you are known for your interest in writing about nature, can you give us a nature based prompt to inspire a story writers might want to enter?

This is my favorite prompt: Write about the first time you can remember being outside by yourself. Do NOT write about the first time you were actually outside by yourself. Write about the first time that you REMEMBER it. If that was when you were 4 years old, great! If that’s when you were 68 years old, that’s equally good.

The 32nd Award closes on Sunday February 1st 2026

Thank you to our 31st Award Judge, Kathryn Aldridge-Morris, for her excellent and detailed comments on her reading process and the winning stories

Judge’s report

Reading this longlist reaffirmed my belief that flash fiction writers are where it’s at in the literary world. The stories in this round popped with pitch-perfect prose and demonstrated a deep understanding of how form impacts story. There was something stand-out in every flash I read, and it was clear why they’d made it through to the longlist. Congratulations to all the writers, thank you for trusting me with your words, and thank you Jude Higgins for inviting me to judge and immerse myself in these story worlds.

There were so many stories in the shortlist which moved me, through gorgeous language, brilliant metaphor and imagery, or made me laugh at human behaviour and the state of the world or portrayed characters and relationships that felt authentic and relatable. It would be impossible to select only a couple for a special mention. I journalled for days. I dreamt about the stories. Ultimately, some started to dominate my notes and my dreams, some whose emotional impact refused to fade and which revealed new meanings on multiple readings.

First place: Two nude night-owls
Wise and understated, this story is a masterclass in how to depict yearning and suadade; an untranslatable Portuguese word which tries to pin down the feeling of nostalgia for a thing—or person— you’ve never had. ‘I miss you, but I haven’t met you yet’ sang Bjork. The narratorial voice lingered and pulled me back over and over. We open and it’s past midnight, literally and metaphorically in the narrator’s life. The unfolding scene is cinematic and dreamy. The story speaks to the peculiarities of our times. We are together but separate. We’ve never been more connected, never seen so much into each other’s lives, yet we’re living through an epidemic of loneliness. ‘We’ve never discussed a fence or planted a screen of shrubs…’ says the narrator who sees his neighbour swim nude every night. This is about the necessity of letting go, reinforced by the casual repetition of ‘whatever’ throughout the piece. Closeness to death is bringing a reckoning with what truly matters and the narrator’s realisation at the end is quietly devastating.

Second place: Vagina First<
The moment I’m conscious a piece is a breathless sentence it can pull me out of the story. In Vagina First the voice is so compelling, the cadence so perfect, the structure doesn’t draw attention to itself until it lands on that perfect beat. Nothing detracts from the tension between a daughter’s palpable excitement at leaving home and her mother’s struggle with letting go. The emotional impact is heightened because the mother’s actions are filtered through the lens of the daughter and with each detail casually relayed we feel in our bones the mother’s fierce, protective love. This writer also understands how to use comedy to help land a gut punch. Not enough that this mother wants to conjure up an image of a bear eating her daughter. She needs to ratchet up the stakes, and the timing of the phrase ‘vagina first’ is exquisite. It makes us laugh because it is unexpected, but also, I think, because it forces a moment of recognition of the crazy things love can make us say and do. This piece not only made me feel, but it made me think – of the man vs bear debate, of how patriarchal fascism comes for women’s rights first. Then, the final, crushingly sad image of the mother opens up a whole new layer of understanding.

Third place: My Husband Watches Henry the Donkey
This story is a skilful snapshot of the complex, divisive and absurd times we’re living though. In the future people will need to read stories like this to understand how it was possible we watched reels of donkeys as a form of solace. But we do. A sick body politic is making the couple in this story sick. With deft use of the rule of three, sentences starting with the verbs ‘Losing…Blocking…Avoiding’ reveal how the politics of division is insidiously seeping into their lives. But we see them doing what they can to resist despair, resist authoritarianism. This is a story about hope and where we go to find it. The light-touch humour in the dialogue imbues the relationship with a gentleness, which itself feels like a form of resistance; an antidote to a world where everyone is screaming at each other. Through great storytelling, (note the perfect mix of sentence lengths to create pace), this writer has created characters I love and I’m rooting for them, as much as for what they represent.

Highly commended: The Menopausal Woman and the Tsunami
This story is a gloriously sassy subversion of the misery-menopause narrative. I love these women, living their best lives on swan floaties getting wasted on gin martinis. This writer pulls off humour and makes it look easy with perfect comic timing and juxtaposition. I love that The Menopausal Woman is never named, neatly conveying the flattening of middle-aged women’s identities. The husband (who is named) remains off-page on the other end of the phone, and with a succinct reference to them as newlyweds, we see how a relationship changes over time. He’s not a bad husband, she’s just kind of outgrown him as she enters her zero-fucks era. These sisters have already faced down the tsunami that is menopause, so, whatever, get another gin and bring it on!