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Last updated 28th May 2023
This page lists flash fiction, micro fiction, sudden fiction, twitterage, twitterature, dribble, drabble, minisaga, nanotale, micro-story and very short fiction competitions, prizes and awards. Please read and make sure you fully understand the rules and the terms & conditions of each competition listed before entering.
PLEASE NOTE: Most of the competitions listed on this page accept entries from writers living anywhere in the world. The country each competition is run from is listed so you know which global market you are submitting to.
The competitions listed on this page used to be included on my short story competitions page, but as flash fiction and micro fiction contests are growing in popularity, I decided to create a separate resource for them.
Flash fiction refers to a story of extreme brevity. Research shows that this is generally regarded as a story containing fewer than 1,000 words, although there is no exact rule on upper word limits.
So, any competitions with maximum word count limits of 1,000 words or less will be listed here. Any contests with word count limits over 1,000 words will be listed on the short story competitions page (see link above).
If you run a flash fiction competition and would like to be featured on this page, please contact me and provide all of the following information :
If you notice that any of the information on this page is incorrect while using it, please let me know and I'll update the page. I do my best to keep everything up to date, but it's impossible to stay on top of every change made to every competition. Any help with this is very much appreciated.
Do you run a flash fiction competition that you'd like featured at the top of this page? If so, please get in touch.
At FanStory new writing contests with cash prizes are announced weekly.
You'll Enjoy:
These are just a few of the contests. View the full listing here.
Mike's Not-Entirely-Serious Wantonly-Rule-Breaking Adverb Writing Challenge is free to enter and guarantees publication in a book that supports First Story, a charity that supports and inspires creativity, literacy and confidence in UK secondary schools.
Send your 100 word flash fiction story, crammed with as many adverbs as humanly possible, and see your work published.
To date, five anthologies have been published via this challenge, each containing 100 adverb riddled stories. That's 500 stories in total. The next anthology will contain 500 more, taking our total to 1,000.
To learn more and submit, please visit the adverb challenge page.
This list details flash fiction competitions that are run more than once a year.
Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
50 Word Stories | Canada | Monthly | Monthly | 50 | FREE | $10 |
Notes on 50 Word Stories: Any style / genre - winners published on website | ||||||
101 Words Writing Contest | USA | Daily | Daily | 101 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on 101 Words Competition: Any style / genre - winners considered for publication in Flash Fiction Magazine which pays $10 if you're selected |
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Anansi Archive Flash Fiction Competition | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 500 | £1 | £50 |
Notes on Anansi Archive Competition: Any style / genre - they also run quarterly short fiction and poetry competitions | ||||||
Association of Christian Writers Writing Competitions | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on ACW Competitions: They run a variety of competitions (flash fiction, short story and poetry), so check website for current details - winners published in Christian Writers (circulation 700) - top prize has been up to £100 in the past | ||||||
Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge | USA | Varies | Varies | 99 | FREE | None |
Notes on Carrot Ranch Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - stories must be exactly 99 words in length - winners published on Carrot Ranch website |
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Chris Fielden's Flash Fiction Writing Challenges | UK | NA | Everyone is a winner | Varies | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Chris's Writing Challenges: Any style or genre but each challenge is themed, so check the link for current challenges - word limits vary from 50 to 200 words - ALL entries are published on christopherfielden.com - some of the challenges offer publication in professional print and eBook formats every time 100 stories are received, but some are now website publishing only - all the proceeds from book sales are donated to different charities - challenges currently running: 1. Adverb Challenge - 2. Nonsense Challenge - 3. Sensory Challenge - 4. Cliché Challenge - 5. Preposition Challenge - 6. Young Writers Challenge NOTE: In January 2021, the 81 Word Challenge received its 1,000th submission and the News Challenge received its 100th submission. Both challenges are now closed but the anthologies will be / have been published. |
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Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction Competition | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 500 | £5 | £150 |
Notes on Cranked Anvil Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on the website and considered for future print anthologies | ||||||
Cranked Anvil Prompt Competition | UK | Triannually | Triannually | 1,000 | £5 | £150 |
Notes on Cranked Anvil Competition: Each story should contain all the prompt elements specified, so check their website for full details - winners published on the website and considered for future print anthologies | ||||||
Crazy Cats Theatre Writing Competitions | UK | Bi-Monthly | Bi-Monthly | 400 | £5 | £50 |
Notes on Crazy Cats Competition: They run a variety of competitions for flash fiction, so check website for current details - winners published on website - they also run short story comps |
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Dandy Writers' Writing Contests | USA | Monthly | Monthly | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Dandy Writers' Contest: Any style / genre - they run a variety of regular contests for short stories, flash fiction, non-fiction, poetry and more, so check website for full details | ||||||
Didcot Writers Monthly Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 500 | Varies | See notes |
Notes on Didcot Writers Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current theme - prize is publication on the Didcot Writers website | ||||||
Fiction Factory Flash Fiction Competition | UK | Biannually | Biannually | 1,000 | £6 | £300 |
Notes on Fiction Factory Competition: Any style / genre except children's and YA - winners published on website and in anthology - they also run a short story comp | ||||||
Fictionette Contest | UK | Monthly | Monthly | Varies | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Fictionette Contest: Any style / genre - competition alternates between flash fiction and short story, so word limits vary - prize is publication online and in the Fictionette magazine | ||||||
Flash Fiction 500 Competition | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 500 | £5 | £300 |
Notes on Flash Fiction 500 Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website |
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Free Flash Fiction Competition | UK | Bi-monthly | Bi-monthly | 300 | £3.50 / £2 | £150 |
Notes on Free Flash Fiction Competition: Any style / genre - entry fee is £3.50 via PayPal / Stripe or £2.00 via BACS - winners published on website | ||||||
F(r)iction Lit Writing Contests | USA | Tri-annually | Tri-annually | 1,000 | $10 | $300 |
Notes on F(r)iction Lit Competition: Any style / genre -
they also have short story and poetry categories - winners published in F(r)iction |
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Fusilli Flash Fiction | UK | Varies | Varies | 200 | FREE | None |
Notes on Fusilli Flash Fiction Competition: Any style / genre but stories must contain a twist - winners published on website and promoted on social media - every time 100 stories are received, a winner is announced - each writer can enter one story per round | ||||||
Gotham Writers | NY, USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Gotham Writers Competition: Any style / genre - they run a variety of contests, so best to check the website to see what is currently open - prizes vary but have been up to $1,000 in the past |
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Letter Review Prize for Flash Fiction | Australia | Bi-Monthly | Bi-Monthly | 999 | $15 | $400 |
Notes on Letter Review Prize: Any style / genre - winners published at Letter Review | ||||||
UK | Monthly | Monthly | 500 | See notes | £50 | |
Notes on Many Planets Contest: Any style / genre but for stories set in the future, so check website for full details - winner is published online and receives a detailed review of their work - the entry fee is "pay what you wish" to make it accessible to as many people as possible, but you have to pay something so the contest is not free to enter | ||||||
UK/USA | Weekly | Weekly | 300 | FREE | $25 | |
Notes on Microcosms Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details | ||||||
Mum Life Stories Micro Fiction Writing Competition | Australia | Varies | Varies | Varies | See notes | Varies |
Notes on Mum Life Stories Competition: Any style / genre but themed and run in rounds, so check website for full details | ||||||
NAWG's 250 Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 250 | £2.50 | £100 |
Notes on Nawg's Competition: Any style / genre - winner published on the NAWG website & in NAWG's annual anthology (both optional) | ||||||
Northern Scribes Micro-Magic Competition | UK | Biannually | Biannually | 100 | £4 | £100 |
Notes on Northern Scribes Competition: Any style / genre - winner published on the blog |
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NYC Midnight Flash Fiction and Micro Fiction Writing Challenges | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on NYC Midnight Challenges: Style & genres vary - NYC Midnight run short story, flash fiction, micro fiction, screenwriting and screenplay competitions - all entrants receive feedback from the judges |
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Oxford Flash Fiction Prize | UK | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 1,000 | £6 | Varies |
Notes on Oxford Flash Fiction Prize: Any style / genre - shortlisted entrants will be offered publication in a digital anthology - top prize has been up to £1,000 in the past | ||||||
Retreat West Monthly Micro Fiction Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 100 | £5 | See notes |
Notes on Retreat West Competition: Any style / genre but done from prompts, so check website for details - winner receives a % of entry fees and 1 free entry to the annual RW Flash Fiction Prize - winning stories published on website | ||||||
Retreat West Themed Flash Competition | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 500 | £8 | £200 |
Notes on Retreat West Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners published on the Retreat West website |
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Secret Attic Flash Fiction Competitions | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 250 | See notes | £10 |
Notes on Secret Attic Competition: Any style / genre - they run two monthly flash comps, Dialogue and Prompt, so check website for full details - members enter free, non-members pay £3 and can then enter all their comps for that month - winning stories published in the Secret Attic Booklet | ||||||
Secret Attic Nifty Fifty Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 50 | See notes | £10 |
Notes on Secret Attic Nifty Fifty Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - members enter free, non-members pay £3 and can then enter all their comps for that month - winning stories published in the Secret Attic Booklet | ||||||
Shooter Literary Magazine 'Shooter Flash' Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 1,000 | £3.50 | £50 |
Notes on Shooter Flash Competition: Any style / genre and they also accept non-fiction - winner published on website and in anthology sent to Shooter subscribers | ||||||
Sleek City Press Writing Contests | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,000 | $9 | $1,000 |
Notes on Sleek City Press Contests: Any style / genre but sometimes themed or using a prompt - generous cash prizes for runners up - winning entries considered for print anthology | ||||||
Storytwigs Micro-Writing Competition | USA | Monthly | Monthly | 100 | FREE | $100 |
Notes on Storytwigs Competition: Any style / genre but entries must be based on a prompt, so check website for current details - winners published on website - cash prizes for runners-up - to find competition details, look in the 'For Writers' section of the website | ||||||
The League of Poets Weekly Contest | Nigeria | Weekly | Weekly | 40 lines | FREE | Varies |
Notes on League of Poets Contest: Any style or subject, but each week there is a different topic / theme, so check website for current details - prizes vary, but winners always receive certificates of writing distinction - they also accept poetry submissions |
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The Tea In Me Story Contest | USA | Monthly | Monthly | 100 | FREE | $75 |
Notes on The Tea In Me Contest: Any style / genre but themed so check website for current details - entries have to made on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr - to find contest details, look in the 'FUN' section of their website | ||||||
University of Chester Flash Magazine | UK | Varies | Varies | 360 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Flash Magazine: See main listing in new flash fiction magazines table below - they also run other comps from time to time and have lots of useful flash fiction resources on their website | ||||||
Wild Words Writing Competition | UK | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 1,000 | £7 | See notes |
Notes on Wild Words Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check the website for the current theme - winner receives mentoring session and their story is published on the website |
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WOW! Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 750 | $10 | $400 |
Notes on WOW! Women on Writing Contest: Any style / genre - multiple runner-up prizes (a very generous prize pot) - top 10 stories are published in the WOW! Women On Writing e-zine, and contestants are interviewed on WOW’s blog, The Muffin | ||||||
YeahWrite Super Challenge | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | $30 | See notes |
Notes on YeahWrite Challenge: Any style / genre, but check website for current prompts - alternates between fiction and non-fiction - prize varies ($150 guaranteed minimum) - YeahWrite also offer free weekly prompts for both fiction and creative non-fiction |
This list contains details of well established, respected flash fiction competitions that offer big monetary prizes and large doses of kudos for winning writers.
Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
Bath Flash Fiction Award | UK | Tri-Annually | Tri-Annually | 300 | £9 | £1,000 |
Notes on the Bath Flash Fiction Award: Any style / genre (except children's) - winners published on website and in an
anthology which includes stories from winners, shortlisted and longlisted entries - published in digital and print formats - some of the organisers are now running a flash fiction festival |
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Bridport Prize Flash Fiction Competition | UK | May | November | 250 | £9 | £1,000 |
Notes on the Bridport Prize Flash Fiction Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in anthology |
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César Egido International Flash Fiction Competition | Spain | Varies | Varies | 100 | FREE | $20,000 |
Notes on the César Egido Competition: Any style / genre - usually runs every 2 years, but check website as fequency does vary - winners published in anthology - last time the competition ran, there were 43,185 entries from 172 countries, so competition is somewhat fierce... | ||||||
Edinburgh International Flash Fiction Award | UK | August | February | 250 | £7 | £2,000 |
Notes on Edinburgh International Award: Any style / genre - publication in anthology offered to top 30 stories - managed by the Scottish Arts Trust - all proceeds are used to support the arts in Scotland | ||||||
Fish Publishing Flash Fiction Prize | Ireland | February | April | 300 | €14 | €1,000 |
Notes on Fish Publishing Prize: Any style / genre - winning stories published in the Fish Anthology | ||||||
Fractured Lit Micro Fiction Prize | USA | September | December | 400 | $20 | $3,000 |
Notes on Fractured Lit Prize: Any style / genre - winners published on website | ||||||
Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest |
USA | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | Varies | $1,000 |
Notes on Gemini Magazine Contest: Any style / genre - winners published on Gemini Magazine website - entry fee usually around $6 to $10 - winner nominated for Pushcart Prize |
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New Millennium Flash Fiction Award | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | $20 | $1,000 |
Notes on New Millennium Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in printed anthology and on website | ||||||
Quantum Shorts Competition | Singapore | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | FREE | $1,500 |
Notes on Quantum Shorts Competition: Any style / genre but themed around quantum physics, so check website for full details - the competition is Biennial - winners published on website and receive illustrations to accompany their stories | ||||||
Reader's Digest 100-Word-Story Competition | UK | May | June | 100 | FREE | £1,000 |
Notes on Reader's Digest Competition: Any style / genre but entries must be exactly 100 words in length - winners published on Reader's Digest website - 1 category for adults and 2 for children (under 12s and 12 to 18-year-olds) - to find the competition details, look in the "Fun & Games" section of their site, or put "competition" into their website's search box |
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Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition | UK | December | March | 1,000 | £15 | £1,000 |
Notes on Ruth Rendell Competition: Any style / genre -
winners published in anthology and the winner will be commissioned to write four further stories for InterAct Stroke Support over the course of one year
- when it's running, the competition details are in the website's main menu |
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SmokeLong Quarterly Awards, Fellowships and Competitions | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on SmokeLong Quarterly Award: Any style / genre - they run a variety of flash fiction awards, so check the website to see what's currently running - prizes / payments are generous and have been up to $2,500 - check the 'Opportunities' section of their website or use their website search function using words like 'competition', 'award' and 'fellowship' - also open to general submissions | ||||||
Tadpole Press 100 Word Writing Contest | USA | Biannually | Biannually | 100 | $10 | $1,000 |
Notes on Tadpole Press Contest: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners maybe published on website - deadlines are end of April / November - to find the competition page, look in the 'Events' section of the website | ||||||
USA | May | August | 1,000 | $20 | $3,000 | |
Notes on Masters Review Contest: Any style / genre - they also run other competitions, like short story, novel excerpt etc. | ||||||
Writing Battle Contest | Canada | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,000 | $25 | $1,000 |
Notes on Writing Battle Contest: Themed around four different genre prompts each time it runs, so check website for current details - winners published on website |
This table lists flash fiction competitions that are run once a year.
Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
Anthology Flash Fiction Competition | Ireland | October | November | 250 | €10 | €300 |
Notes on Anthology Competition: Any style or genre - winners offered publication in Anthology Magazine | ||||||
Atticus Books Lancaster One Minute Monologue Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | See notes | FREE | £50 |
Notes on Atticus Books Competition: Monologues - maximum length: one minute when read aloud - top 30 winners published in a booklet - writers reading at the live event are filmed/recorded for YouTube, radio and the Atticus website | ||||||
Beechmore Books Writing Competion | UK | September | October | 1,000 | FREE | £200 |
Notes on Beechmore Books Competition: Any style or genre but themed, so check website for current details - winner published in the Beechmore Journal - when the competition is open, you can usually find details in the banner at the top or in the content of the homepage | ||||||
Bibliophone's Writing Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | Varies | See notes |
Notes on Bibliophone's Competition: Any style or genre - 10 winning stories narrated by a professional voice actor and recorded as an audiobook - this competition is sometimes free to enter, but sometimes has an entry fee which supports charities (100% of the fee goes to the nominated charity) so check website for current details | ||||||
Blandford Rotary Short Story & Poetry Competition | UK | September | November | 250 | £3.50 | £60 |
Notes on Blandford Rotary Competition: Any style / genre - in addition to cash prizes, there is an award ceremony, cups, certificates, readings and other goodies - there are also categories for poetry, short stories and young writers - to find the current details put "competition" into their website's search box | ||||||
Chilling Pen Award | Australia | October | October | 1,000 | FREE | $500 |
Notes on Chilling Pen Award: Horror, and it's themed, so check website for full details - winners published on website | ||||||
Coram Voice 'Voices' Writing Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 500 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Coram Voice Competition: Any style or genre - for children writers in care and care leavers up to the age of 25 - winner receive £100 in shopping vouchers - shortlisted entries published on website and in a printed book - to find competition details, check the 'Get Involved' section of their website | ||||||
Darling Axe 'An Axe To Grind' Writing Contest | Canada | March | April | 1,000 | $5 | $700 |
Notes on Darling Axe Contest: Any style or genre - winners published on the Chopping Blog | ||||||
Do Wha(TS) Write | Canada | December | February | 1,000 | $2 | $200 |
Notes on Do Wha(TS) Write Competition: Any style or genre - winning story published on website | ||||||
Doug Weller's Six Word Wonder | USA | November | February | 6 | FREE | $100 |
Notes on 6 Word Wonder Contest: Any style or genre - winners published in paperback / eBook | ||||||
Ethos Literacy Annual Short Short Story Contest | USA | January | March | 100 | $12 | $200 |
Notes on Ethos Literacy Contest: Any style or genre but see website for current topics - winners published in digital magazine - lots of cash prizes for runners-up - they also award a youth prize for writers of 14 and younger | ||||||
Evening Standard Stories Competition | UK | April | July | 1,000 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Evening Standard Competition: Any style or genre but themed, so check website for current details - top prize is a one-year mentorship in the winner's chosen field by management and production company, 42, who represent some of the world's leading voices across all forms of media AND complimentary places on a City Lit creative writing course of their choice AND masterclass with Evening Standard Stories Editor PLUS publication of their winning piece on the Evening Standard channels - submissions can be spoken word or performance, monologue, a script or a self-contained episode of a narrative podcast | ||||||
Fairfield Scribes "The Scribes Prize" | Canada / USA | September | October | 110 | $5 | $250 |
Notes on The Scribes Prize: Any style / genre - all winning entries awarded a cash prize, digital award seal to use for promotions, interview & permanent author page on website, plus publication - they also accept creative non-fiction | ||||||
Farnham Flash Festival Competition | UK | June | June | 500 | £5 | Varies |
Notes on FFF Competition: Any style / genre - winning stories performed at awards ceremony and published in festival book - top prize has been between £75 and £100 in the past | ||||||
Fosseway Writers Flash Fiction Competition | UK | September | October | 300 | £5 | £50 |
Notes on Fosseway Writers Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners published on website | ||||||
Hastings Literary Festival Flash Fiction Competition | UK | June | August | 500 | £5 | £100 |
Notes on Hastings Literary Festival Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for full details - winners published in anthology | ||||||
Hawkeye Books 'Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Competition' | Australia | August | October | 1,000 | $16.50AU | See notes |
Notes on Hawkeye Books Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for current details - 40 winning stories published in an anthology and a free copy is given to all published entrants - top prize is a ticket to the CYA Festival and a 12 month membership to QLD Writers Centre, and the front cover design of the anthology will be based on the winning story | ||||||
Ireland Writing Retreat Wild Atlantic Writing Awards (WAWA) | Ireland | Varies | Varies | 500 | €10 | €500 |
Notes on Ireland Writing Retreat Awards: Any style / genre but sometimes themed, so check website for current details - they also run a non-fiction award | ||||||
London Independent Short Story Prize (LISP) | UK | July | October | 300 | see notes | £100 |
Notes on London Independent Story Prize: Any style / genre - entry fee varies depending on how close to the deadline you submit, so best to check website for current details - they have multiple categories, including flash fiction, poetry, short story and screenplay - winners published in anthology | ||||||
Mslexia Women's Flash Fiction Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Mslexia Competition: Any style / genre - doesn't always run every year, so check website for current competition details as they run all sorts of different contests |
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New Writers Flash Fiction Competition | UK | November | January | 300 | £6 | £700 |
Notes on New Writers Competition: Any style / genre - £1 from each entry fee is donated to First Story, England’s leading creative writing charity for young people - winning and shortlisted stories published on website | ||||||
Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction | Australia | July | August | 600 | FREE | $300 |
Notes on Not Quite Write Prize: Any style / genre but each contest is based on prompts - they announce the competition criteria by email to those who have registered and the subs period is only two days, so check website for full details - winner published on the Not Quite Write Podcast | ||||||
Nottingham Writers' Club National Flash Fiction Competition | UK | February | May | 100 | £5 | £100 |
Notes on NWC Competition: Any style / genre - the long list, short list and top three winning writers published on website | ||||||
Pigeon Review Flash Fiction Competition | USA | August | September | 1,000 | $5 | $100 |
Notes on Pigeon Review Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners published online | ||||||
Polar Expressions Publishing Short Story Competition | Canada | July | ? | 750 | FREE | C$500 |
Notes on Polar Expressions Competition: Any style / genre - you must be a Canadian resident to enter - winners published in an anthology |
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Prescot Festival Short Story Competition | UK | June | June | 1,000 | FREE | £100 |
Notes on Prescot Festival Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - only open to unpublished writers living in the six Merseyside boroughs of Liverpool (Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Halton, Wirral or Liverpool) - when the comp is running you can find details in the 'News' section of the website | ||||||
Pulp Fictional Flash Fiction Competition | UK | January | March | 1,000 | £6 | £250 |
Notes on Pulp Fictional Competition: Any style / genre - £6 entry fee allows two stories to be submitted - winners published in anthology - they also run a short story competition | ||||||
Retreat West Flash Fiction Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | £8 | £350 |
Notes on Retreat West Flash Prize: Any style / genre except children's - decent runner-up cash prizes - all winning and shortlisted stories published in anthology - they run a variety of writing comps, so check website for full details |
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Room Magazine Short Forms Contest | Canada | Varies | Varies | 500 | Varies | $500 |
Notes on Room Magazine Contest: Any style / genre - entry fee include a year's subscription to Room Magazine - winners published in Room Magazine |
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Searchlight Awards - Best Short Story for Children or Young Adults | UK | March | June | 1,000 | £10 | £500 |
Notes on Searchlight Awards: Stroies that a child reader will love - top 10 stories feature in a pitch book sent to numerous literary agents/publishers who have requested it - winners also published in an anthology | ||||||
SMK Contests | USA | November | January | Varies | $5 | $100 |
Notes on SMK Contests: Any style / genre - they have multiple categories for flash fiction, poetry, short story, non-fiction, novel and more, so check website for full details | ||||||
Southam Flash Fiction Competition | UK | September | October | 100 | £3 | £60 |
Notes on Southam Competition: Any style / genre but story must contain a specific word or phrase, so check website for full details - winner published in local magazine and on website | ||||||
Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival Very Short Fiction Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | $10 | $500 |
Notes on Tennessee Williams Contest: Any style / genre - winners published in New Orleans Review | ||||||
The League of Poets Anthology of Contemporary Writers Competition | Nigeria | September | ? | 500 | $2 | See notes |
Notes on League of Poets Contest: Any style or subject, but themed, so check website for current details - prize is publication for top 100 winners, certificates of participation and a free digital copy of the anthology - they also accept poetry |
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The Phare WriteWords Flash Fiction Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | £7 | £150 |
Notes on The Phare WriteWords Competition: Any style or genre - also has poetry and short story categories - winners published in anthology | ||||||
Tim Saunders Publications' "The Paul Cave Prize for Literature" |
UK | September | November | See notes | See notes | See notes |
Notes on the Tim Saunders Publications Prize: Any style or genre - for flash fiction up to 300 words (£8 entry fee, £25 top prize) and short stories up to 1,000 words (£12 entry fee, £50 top prize) - winners published on website and receive a free copy of The Paul Cave Prize for Literature book - also open tonovellas and poetry |
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Urban Tree Festival Writing Competition | UK / Belgium | March | May | 250 words | €6 | €200 |
Notes on Urban Tree Festival Competition: Any style or genre but themed, so check website for details - winner becomes writer in residence for the next Urban Tree festival - winners published in anthology and each author included receives complementary copies - also accept poetry and non-fiction | ||||||
Walk Listen Create's 'Write About Walking' Competition | UK | August | September | 250 | €8 | See notes |
Notes on Walk Listen Create's Competition: Any style or genre but themed so check the website for full details - open to poetry and prose - winner becomes the Walk Listen Create online Writer in Residence - winning stories are published in illustrated anthology by Sampson Low Publishers - to find the contest details, look in the "Awards & Calls" section of their website | ||||||
Weird Christmas Flash Fiction Contest | USA | November | December | 350 | FREE | $75 |
Notes on Weird Christmas Contest: They ask for humour based stories with a "weird" Christmas / solstice / winter-holiday theme - multiple cash prizes - winners published on website and read aloud on podcast - to find the current competition page, look through the most recent posts on the homepage | ||||||
Wilson's Tales of the Borders 100 Word Competition | UK | September | October | 100 | FREE | £50 |
Notes on Wilson's Tales Competition: Any style or genre - winning entry performed at the Wilson Literary Dinner and published in the next Wilson's Tales Revival Edition, with a selection of shortlisted entries - to find the competition page, look in "The Project" section of the website | ||||||
Write by the Sea Literary Festival Writing Competition (Fiction) | Ireland | June | September | 700 | €10 | €500 |
Notes on Write by the Sea Literary Festival Competition: Any style or genre - they also have categories for memoir / essay, poetry and short stories |
This table gives details of magazines that focus solely on flash fiction. They don't always run competitions, but are open for general submissions.
Magazine | Country | Submissions | Payment | Notes |
Flash Fiction North | UK | online submissions only - see link | None | 500 words max - free platform - showcases both experienced and newer writers from around the world |
Flash Fiction Magazine | USA | online submissions only - see link | $40 for stories in anthologies - no payment for online | 300 to 1,000 words |
Friday Flash Fiction | UK | online submissions only - see link | None | stories up to 100 words in length and stories up to 500 words in length - successful submissions published online |
New Flash Fiction | UK | online submissions only - see link | None | 750 words - they sometimes run the Anton Chekhov Prize for Very Short Fiction too |
Sassafras Literary Magazine | Sweden | online submissions only - see link | None | 1,000 words max |
Superfast Stories | USA | Send query to Dee Lorraine | None | 100 word stories that are narrated by the writer, made into videos and published on YouTube - no payment, but you do get a snazzy video for your writing CV |
University of Chester Flash Magazine | UK | online submissions only - see link | None | 360 words max - one of the most respected flash fiction / micro fiction publications on the market - winners published in highly prestigious, industry leading magazine - also run comps on occasion |
This table will list one-off flash fiction contests.
Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
Hertford Museum's Love Hertford Flash Fiction & Poetry Competition | UK | 19th June 2023 | 5th October 2023 | 400 | £5 | £100 |
Notes on Love Hertford Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in the Love Hertford book, sold in aid of the Museum - shortlisted writers receive a copy of the book and are invited to read their work at an awards evening - also open to poetry | ||||||
South Warwickshire Literary Festival Creative Writing Competition | UK | 30th June 2023 | 23rd September 2023 | 800 | £3 | £50 |
Notes on South Warwickshire Literary Festival Competition: Any style / genre - winner offered the chance to read their story at the festival if they are able to attend - also open to non-fiction and poetry |
Here are some other useful lists of flash fiction competitions:
This table will contain a history of previously listed flash fiction competitions that have closed.
Competition | Country | Closing Date | Winners Announced | Max Words | Entry Fee | Top Prize |
11 Sentences Rock Writing Contest | UK | Biannually | Biannually | See notes | £5 | £100 |
Notes on 11 Sentences Rock Contest: Any style / genre - no word limit, but stories must be written using 11 sentences - winners published in anthology - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2020 | ||||||
81 Words Challenge | UK | NA | Everyone is a winner | 81 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on 81 Word Challenge: Any style / genre - all entries published on the website - we're using the 81 word challenge to try and set a World Record for the most contributing authors published in an anthology, so by submitting you could become part of publishing history - for full details on all the challenges, see my writing challenges listing above - CLOSED after the 1,000th story was received in January 2021 |
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1,000 Word Challenge | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 1,000 | £5 | £150 |
Notes on 1,000 Word Challenge Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners published on the website - if you pay £15 entry, you can also get feedback from the judges - cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd place too - NOTE: They took a break in December '19. During my Jan '21 update, I noticed that they still haven't come back. Am leaving the listing live for now. If they don't start running again this year I'll remove the listing in my '22 update. - NOT UPDATED SITE IN AGES, so removed listing during 2022 update |
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1,000 Words or Less Flash Fiction | Australia | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | Varies | Varies |
Notes on 1,000 Words or Less Competition: Any style / genre - top prize up to $1,000 - prize money paid in Australian dollars - winners published in printed book and eBook - CLOSED, website not updated since March 2016, so retired listing 2017 |
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Academy for Teachers 'Stories Out of School' Contest | USA | September | January | 749 | FREE | $1,000 |
Notes on the Academy of Teachers Contest: Any style / genre but the story’s protagonist, or its narrator, must be a K-12 teacher - winner published in A Public Space - CONTEST NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2023 update | ||||||
Ad Hoc Fiction Competition | UK | Weekly | Weekly | 150 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Ad Hoc Fiction Competition: Any style / genre - run by Bath Flash Fiction Award - winner earns free entry into the Bath Flash Fiction award (usually £9) which offers a £1,000 top prize - look in the 'For Fun' section of the site for competition details - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2022 update |
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Alice Little's Pick Your Own Path | UK | Rolling every 3 days, June to Sept 2021 | NA | 300 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Alice Little's Competition: Any style/genre, but must be in keeping with previous pages of the story - the project is like a game of consequences, or a gamebook adventure, where each page of the story is written by a different person; the story will branch in multiple directions so there will be more than one plot created from the same starting point; every few days, a new page will be selected for publication, an email notification will go out to let those signed up know the new deadline, and the process will begin again - winners published online as part of the story - CLOSED, was a one off | ||||||
All for Writers Flash Fiction Contest | UK | Monthly | Monthly | Varies | FREE | £15 |
Notes on All for Writers Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners published in All for Writers Ezine - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019 | ||||||
Alsina Flash Fiction Contests | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | £50 |
Notes on Alsina Competition: Styles, genres and themes vary - word limits are between 400 and 1,200, so they also run short story comps - winning stories translated and recorded in multiple languages and distributed electronically through an app - HAVEN'T PUBLISHED anything for a year, so removed listing 2019 | ||||||
Ann and Dan Very Short Story Contest | USA | March | March | 1,000 | FREE | $25 |
Notes on Ann & Dan Contest: Any style / genre - winning stories published on the Ann & Dan website - limited to 100 entries max (1 per author) - WEBSITE NOT UPDATED SINCE 2016, so removed from lists Jan 2018 |
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Arkbound Writing Competition | UK | December | January | 1,000 | £3 | £100 |
Notes on Arkbound Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details -
overall winner is featured in Boundless, a printed magazine - Arkbound also run other competitions from time to time - BEEN ROLLING OVER FOR 3 YEARS, so removed listing 2020 |
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Artificium Short Fiction Competitions | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Artificium Very Short Fiction Competition: Any style / genre but themes vary so check website for current details - also run short story competitions - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED during 2018, removed from lists 2019 |
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Arts Quarter Books Teignmouth Prize Knockout Contest | UK | July | August | 1,000 | £5 | £100 |
Notes on Teignmouth Contest: Any style, subject or theme - winner decided by 100 random readers on the basis of how long they remain interested in the story - prize is minimum of £100, or half the total entry fees if greater - DISCONTINUED 2019 | ||||||
Asymmetry Flash Fiction Contest | USA | Varies | Varies | 1,000 | $2 | $40 |
Notes on Asymmetry Contest: Speculative fiction - themed so check website for current details - winners published on website - NOT RUN FOR OVER A YEAR, so removed listing in 2019 | ||||||
Avid Writers The Sunday Saga Flash Fiction Competition | UK | Weekly | Weekly | 500 | £2.50 | £25 |
Notes on Avid Writers Competition: Any style / genre, but you have to choose from 3 lines of dialogue every Sunday to include in your story, so see website for current details - winner published in Spotlight - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED during 2018, removed from lists 2019 | ||||||
Bandit Flash Fiction Award | UK | April | June | 1,000 | FREE | £50 |
Notes on Bandit Award: Any style / genre - all shortlisted stories to be published digitally in an anthology - CANCELLED in 2018, hoping to run in 2019, listing retired until I hear more | ||||||
Blinkpot Flash Fiction Award | UK | Varies | Varies | 100 | FREE | Varies |
Notes on Blinkpot Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website and sometimes in an anthology - top prize has been up to £100 in the past - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 | ||||||
Blue Animal's Monthly Flash Fiction | USA | Monthly | Monthly | 300 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Blue Animal's Competition: Any style / genre - winning stories featured on website and commented on by website staff - NOT PUBLISHED ANYTHING SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
(b)OINK Flash and Micro Fiction Contests | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on (b)OINK Contests: Any style / genre, but some are themed so check website for current details - they run frequent competitions, sometimes as often as monthly - prizes of up to $500 - NOT RUN since 2017, so removed from lists 2019 | ||||||
Book Launch and Flash Fiction Contest: Philosophy through Science Fiction Stories: Exploring the Boundaries of the Possible | USA | See notes | March | 1,000 | FREE | $100 |
Notes on Philosophy through Science Fiction Competition: Any style / genre but themed - it's an on-the-spot writing contest that you have to register for by 17th January 2021, so check the website for full details - winners might be published at Flash Fiction Online CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Booksie Pet Flash Fiction Contest | USA | 28th February 2023 | April 2023 | 300 | $4.99 | $250 |
Notes on Booksie Contest: Write a true story about a pet - writers can feel free to add a photo of their pet - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Brilliant Flash Fiction Writing Contest | USA | 15th April 2023 | May 2023 | 400 | FREE | $200 |
Notes on Brilliant Flash Fiction Contest: Any style / genre - winners published on website - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Cafe Aphra Flash Fiction Fridays | UK | Varies | Varies | 500 | FREE | None |
Notes on Cafe Aphra: Any style / genre - stories published every two or three weeks on a Friday - always open to submissions - CLOSED 2018 | ||||||
Casevac Contest | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 500 | $4 | $100 x 4 |
Notes on Casevac Contest : Any style / genre but each contest has a prompt, so check website for current details - four winners are selected each quarter - winners published on website - NO LONGER RUNNING, changed to a short story / non-fiction comp | ||||||
Charmouth Community Library Mini-Saga Competition | UK | September | October | 50 | £2 | £50 |
Notes on Charmouth Library Competition: Any style or genre - stories must be exactly 50 words long, plus a title of max 15 words - 3 categories: under 12, under 18 and all ages - 3 cash prizes in each category - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2020 | ||||||
Comps & Calls Flash Weekly | UK | Weekly | Weekly | Varies | FREE | £10 |
Notes on Comps & Calls Competition: Any style or genre but theme changes each week, so check website for details - story length varies from 100 words to 999 words - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED during 2018, removed from lists 2019 | ||||||
Creative Writing Institute Flash Fiction Contest | USA | 31st October 2018 | November | 1,000 | FREE | $100 |
Notes on Creative Writing Institute Contest: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for full details - winners published on website - CLOSED, was a one-off NOTE 1: I have received a number of complaints regarding this contest as they state: 'No swearing, profanity, explicit sexual scenes, graphic violence, LGBTQ' in their submission guidelines. It's the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer, or questioning) reference that is causing offense, as it seems discriminatory and prejudiced. I'm currently investigating this and will update the listing soon. NOTE 2: I have finished my investigations. Below is my email correspondence with Deb, the competition administrator. I thought it best to share the whole thing so that you can make up your own mind about the competition and the conduct/intentions of the people who run it. * Hi Deb I hope all is good with you. I’m emailing you because I’ve received complaints about your flash fiction contest from my website users via email, Facebook and Twitter. You state 'No swearing, profanity, explicit sexual scenes, graphic violence, LGBTQ' in your submission guidelines. It's the LGBTQ reference that is causing offense, as it is being viewed as discriminatory and prejudiced. If this is the case, it is not something I will support on my website. Please could you let me know why you view LGBTQ people as being in the same category as profanity, graphic violence and sexually explicit material, and why you have mentioned them in your subs guidelines? Also, please could you clarify if you accept entries from LGBTQ writers? If not, why not? And if you have any other comments regarding this issue that explain your brand’s position, please do share them. Many thanks, Chris * Hi Chris, We have had gays on staff and as students. We are not discriminating against gays. We are simply stating what kinds of stories we are looking for. As long as we hold the purse-strings, we will retain that right. I will not succumb to their shameful bullying tactics, nor will I spend any more time trying to reason with them. At first, I listed the LGBTQ separately and they asked why I was singling them out, so I included it in the group and now they're complaining about that. They won't be satisfied until they run my contest their way. I guess you'll have to figure out how far they can push you. So far as I am concerned, whether they are gays, Martians, or people of color, their rights end where mine begin. If you're willing to take the plunge, I would appreciate your backing. Very best, Deb * Hi Deb Thank you for your reply. Just to be clear, are you saying you won’t accept stories with any LGBTQ characters? Or are you saying you don’t want any LGBTQ sex scenes/references? I’m not being pushed or bullied. I found it surprising that you mentioned LTBTQ, to be honest. It comes across as being prejudiced against that group of people, whether that is the intention or not. Hence my query. Cheers, Chris * Hi Chris, We are not specifying any particular train of thought. It should be sufficient to say we don't want LGBTQ stories. If I were to enter a contest and it said, "No stories about cats," I wouldn't put a cat in my story. This whole thing befuddles me. Deb * Hi Deb OK, thanks for letting me know. I feel the mention of LGBTQ singles out certain people, hence it’s causing offense. Singling out cats is not comparative, as cats are not capable of taking offence – they are not people. Personally, I think that saying you don’t want any sexual content covers everything needed and is unlikely to cause offence to anyone. But that’s just my opinion. I would add that I’m a firm believer in freedom of speech, so I’m not trying to tell you how to run your competition. I’m simply trying to determine if I want to be associated with it, by advertising it on my website. I’ll give it some thought. Cheers, Chris * Thank you Chris. Everyone is welcome to enter the contest. You made a good suggestion and I will probably do that next year. Thanks very much. Very best, Deb * No problem, thanks Deb. Cheers, Chris * Have you decided where you stand? :-) You might want to check my front page. [CF: check link in main listing, the subs guidelines have been updated but still mention LGBTQ] Best, Deborah * Hi Deb I have given this some thought. To me, it comes across as prejudiced, even if that isn’t the intention. It’s like saying ‘no stories concerning Chinese people’ or ‘no stories concerning women’. I would regard these examples as racist/sexist and, therefore, discriminatory. I will leave the listing on the site, but will add a note regarding the issue. At the end of the day, my users can make up their own minds if they wish to enter or not. But it’s not something I can support as it goes against my beliefs of acceptance and equality. I’m swamped with work at the moment, but will update the site soon. Cheers, Chris * Chris, I'm so glad you believe in equality. You disagree, and I don't have a problem with that. God gives you that right and we are not here to take it away, but I have a question. Do we have the right to disagree? Do we not have the right to read what we choose? Gay writers are certainly welcome! I hope you'll rethink this. I know where your sympathies lie, but it doesn't bother me. I fail to see why this should trouble anyone. We are not exempting them. We are merely limiting content. Thanks so much. I value our relationship. Deborah * Hi Deb No problem at all. In answer to your question, yes, I believe we do have the right to disagree. I respect the opinions of others, even if I don’t agree with them. You and I simply don’t agree on this point. I will leave the listing on the site and let people make up their own minds. Cheers, Chris * I will defend to the death your right to believe anything you want, Chris. Thank you for allowing me the same privilege. Warmly, Deb |
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Creative Writing Life Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 999 | FREE | £20 |
Notes on CWL Competition: Any style / genre - winner's published in CWL magazine - they also run a 100 word competition with £1 entry and £100 prize - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2020 | ||||||
Debbie Brady Photographic Art 'Shell of a Story' Competition | Canada | Varies | Varies | 300 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Debbie Brady Competition: Any style or genre but has a visual prompt, so check website for current details - winners published on website - there are a variety of art related prizes, so check website for full details - CLOSED 2022 | ||||||
Dorset Fiction Award | UK | Varies | Varies | 999 | £7 | £500 |
Notes on Dorset Fiction Award: Any style / genre - winners published in digital anthology - the competition supports a different charity each time it runs - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019 | ||||||
Ekphrastic Review 'Bird Watching' Flash Fiction and Poetry Contest | Canada | 1st May 2021 | 1st June 2021 | 1,000 | $10 | $100 |
Notes on Ekphrastic Review Contest: Themed: entry $10 CAD for ebook of prompts (stories must be sparked by one of the artworks in the ebook) - selected works published on website, one winner announced from each category - also open to poetry - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Eyelands International Flash Fiction Contest | Greece | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | See notes |
Notes on Eyelands Competition: Any style / genre - they run a vaiety of competitions throughout the year, including flash fiction - NOW RUN A BOOK / NOVEL COMPETITION INSTEAD | ||||||
Fiction Desk Flash Fiction Prize | UK | September | November | 1,000 | £5 | £300 |
Notes on Fiction Desk Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in the Fiction Desk anthology - CLOSED, they stopped running writing competitions at the end of 2018 |
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Fiction War Competition | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on the Fiction War Competition: Any style / genre, but check website for current prompt - top prize has been up to $2,500 in the past, word limit has been 100 to 1,000 - winners published in Fiction War Magazine WARNING: I have received complaints about this competition. One of the messages I received stated:"Fiction War (Wolvesburrow Publishing) may not be running at all now and the last year saw them running about a year behind with publication as well as owing many prize winners money. I was published in the second issue and paid but they heavily edited and rewrote my story." I am leaving the listing live for now so users see this warning. It will be retired next time I undertake a full page overhaul. REMOVED LISTING during 2021 update; website was 2 years out of date at that time |
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Field of Words Flash Fiction Competition | Australia | May | June | 1,000 | A$10 | A$200 |
Notes on Field of Words Competition: Any style / genre - open to Australian and international residents over 18 only - winners published on Field of Words website - runner up receives a cash prize too - NOT RUN since 2017, still run short story and memoir competitions | ||||||
Fractured Lit Legends, Myths and Allegories Prize | USA | 16th April 2023 | July 2023 | 1,000 | $20 | $3,000 |
Notes on Fractured Lit Prize: Any style / genre - winners published on website - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Friendcentive Short Form Tournaments | USA | Monthly | Monthly | 280 charac- ters | $1.85 | See notes |
Notes on Friendcentive Tournaments: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - multiple monthly contests - top prizes vary, but in the past has been valuable pieces of tech equipments like MacBook PROs, cameras etc. - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2021 | ||||||
Fun Palaces: WriteScience Competition | UK | July | September | 250 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Fun Palaces Competition: Any style / genre but themed around science - open to UK residents only - winners published on website and performed at reading events - competition is judged by a very prestigious panel CLOSED 2016 | ||||||
Garden Gate Arts Ms Shakespeare Through Time | UK | 3rd January 2018 | 10th January 2018 | 1,000 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Garden Gate Arts Competition: Any style / genre of prose or dramatic monologue - only open to women who live in Yorkshire - 3 winners commissioned to write monologue, paid £300 and their work will be performed at Huddersfield Literature Festival - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Glittery Literary Writing Shimmering Short Story Contest | UK | Varies | Varies | 400 | See notes | £20 |
Notes on Glittery Literary Contest: Any style / genre - winners published in Glittery Literary book / anthology - entry fee is optional, so you can enter for free or pay a couple of quid - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 | ||||||
Green Stories Eco-Santa Short Story Competition | UK | 30th November 2022 | End of February 2023 at the latest | 1,000 | £5 | £100 |
Notes on Booksie Contest: Any style / genre but themed so check website for full details - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Golfwell's Annual Golf Story Writing Competition | New Zealand | February | March | 700 | FREE | $125 |
Notes on Golfwell's Competition: Any style / genre but themed around golf - winners published on the website and in book - they accept fiction and non-fiction entries - not running in 2019, hopes to be back 2020 - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2020 |
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Gotham Writers 'A Very Short Story Contest' | USA | 14th May 2018 | 14th June 2018 | 10 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Gotham Writers Competition: Any style / genre - winner receives a free class with Gotham Writers - winners published on website CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Green Stories Flash Fiction Writing Competition | UK | March | June | 500 | FREE | £500 |
Notes on Green Stories Competition: Any style / genre but stories should be inspired by positive green solutions - they also run a short story and novel comp - FLASH COMP NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
Grindstone Dirty Dozen Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | 144 | £1.44 | See notes |
Notes on Grindstone Prize: Any style / genre - prizes x 12 = publication in 'Dirty Dozen' Collection - winners also published in year-end anthology, and they receive an invite to participate in the Atmos Collections - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
Grindstone Flash Fiction Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 500 | £8 | £500 |
Notes on Grindstone Prize: Any style / genre - winners published in year-end anthology, and will also receive an invite to participate in Grindstone's Atmos Collections - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
Hammond House Publishing 'Staying Home' Competition | UK | 8th June 2020 | July 2020 | 500 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on HH Publishing Competition: Any style / genre but themed around staying at home - no prize, but winners published in anthology - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Hampshire Libraries 100 Words for 100 Years | UK | 16th October 2018 | 11th November 2018 | 100 | FREE | £50 |
Notes on Hampshire Libraries Competition: Any style / genre but themed around the First World War so see website for topics - winners published in a commemorative booklet and on the library website - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Horror Scribes' Flash Contest | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 300 | £3 | £100 |
Notes on Horror Scribes' Contest: Horror - winners published on website and/or in newsletter - NOT RUN FOR ALMOST A YEAR, so removed listing 2019 | ||||||
Iceland Writers Retreat Writing Contest | Iceland | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Iceland Writers Retreat Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current theme - prize is usually a place on a writing retreat - comps are sometimes for fiction, sometimes poetry and sometimes non-fiction - look at 'News & Events at bottom or homepage or in 'About IWR' section of website then 'News' to find latest competition details - CONTEST NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
Info 4 Writers Flash Fiction Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 999 | FREE | £15 |
Notes on Info 4 Writers Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for current details - winners published on website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED during 2018, removed from lists 2019 | ||||||
ITS Groups Children’s Fiction & Novel Competition | UK | December | January | 500 | Varies | Varies |
Notes on ITS Groups Competition: Any style or genre - top prize has been up to £200 in the past, plus book illustration + video animation of the story - sometimes run a adults, sometimes for children - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed link during 2022 update | ||||||
Link Age Southwark Writing Competition | UK | 31st August 2018 | October | 1,000 | See notes | £200 |
Notes on Link Age Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for details - free entry for ages 11 to 17, adults pay £5 - winners published on website and invited to award ceremony in London - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Luna Press Publishing Writing Contest | Scotland | April | May | 500 | £1.50 | See notes |
Notes on Luna Press Competition: Science fiction, fantasy & dark fantasy - winners published on website - up to 5 winners have prize pot (generated by entry fees) split between them - NO LONGER RUNNING, removed from lists Jan 2018 |
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Mash Stories Flash Fiction Competition | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 500 | FREE | $100 |
Notes on Mash Stories Competition: Any style / genre, but stories must be based on 3 random objects so see website for current details - winners published on the website - CLOSED October 2016 |
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Mere Literary Festival Short Story Competition |
UK | September | October | 350 | £2 | £50 |
Notes on MLF Competition: Any style / genre - themed and written in a week - the theme is released at the end of September and the deadline is a week later - alternates between flash fiction 1 year and poetry the next - WEBSITE HAS WHITE TEXT ON WHITE BACKGROUND, so is unusable - removed 2020 |
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Mighty Pens Awards and Competitions | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Mighty Pens Competition: Any style / genre, sometimes themed - Mighty Pens run a variety of competitions and awards - sometimes there is an entry fee, sometimes it's free to enter - prizes vary - winners usually published on website - best to check their website and see what they have running at present - look in 'Services' section of the site to find current competition details - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 |
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Mighty Pens Winter Short Story Competition | UK | 31st January 2021 | 28th February 2021 | 1,000 | £4 | See notes |
Notes on Mighty Pens Competition: Any style / genre but themed around winter - four winners: (two from the under 18s and two from the over 18s categories) receive M&S gift card - winners published in Mighty Pens Members' Magazine - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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MK LitFest Flash Fiction Competition | UK | 31st May 2020 | 31st August 2020 | 500 | FREE | £25 |
Notes on MK LitFest Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for details - entrants must live in Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire or Bedfordshire UK - two age categories: 14 to 19 and over 20 - also open to poetry - at least 20 stories and 20 poems published in anthology - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
MK LitFest Green Spaces in the City: Flash Fiction and Poetry Competition | UK | 10th February 2023 | 17th March 2023 | 500 | FREE | £25 |
Notes on MK LitFest Competition: Any style / genre but themed around green spaces in cities - two age categories: 14–19 and over 20 - winning stories will be published as a printed magazine and e-book - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Modern Art By Post Competition | Scotland | Monthly | Monthly | 75 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Modern Art By Post Competition: Any style / genre but must be inspired by a painting, so see the Modern Art website for full details -
winner receives an original painting of their choice (subject to availability) + publication on the website - competition runs monthly, or each time 20 stories are received - CLOSED due to illness, removed from lists Jan 2018 |
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Modern Art By Post Competition | Scotland | 28th February 2017 | March 2017 | 75 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Modern Art By Post Competition: Due to the success of the inaugural competition, this has now being run tri-annually, so see the regular competitions list above for full details |
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Nine Voices Writing Competition | UK | 31st August 2017 | September 2017 | 199 | £5 | £100 |
Notes on Nine Voices Competition: Any style / genre - any proceeds from the competition are donated to
PMR GCA UK - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Norfolk Day Drabble Writing Competition | UK | 30th June 2021 | 27th July 2021 | 100 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Norfolk Day Drabble Competition: Any style/genre - winners get a bundle of online courses - winner published in EDP - 3 categories: ages 5 to 10, ages 11 to 17 and 18+ - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Nowhere.Ink's $100 Weekly Writing Contest | USA | Weekly | Weekly | 500 | $2 | $100 |
Notes on Nowhere.Ink Contest: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winner published on website - winner also receives a copy of The Literary Hack, a quarterly magazine, and is considered for publication in it - WEBSITE not updated since June 2018, so removed listing 2019 | ||||||
Outsideleft Short Story Competition | UK | May | September | 1,000 | FREE | £100 |
Notes on Outsideleft Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for details - winners published on website - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2023 update | ||||||
Pennine Ink Short Story Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Pennine Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check website for current details - winner published in Pennine Ink Magazine and on the website - top prize has been up to £50 in the past - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 | ||||||
QuicFic Flash Fiction Writing Contest | USA | Biannually | Biannually | 600 | $5 | $20* |
Notes on QuicFic Contest: Any style / genre except erotica - winner published on website - prize paid as a $20 Amazon voucher | ||||||
READ Foundation Writing Competition | UK | 10th October 2018 | 13th October 2018 | 500 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on READ Foundation Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for full details - winner publicly displayed across hundreds of schools and read by tens of thousands of children, plus feedback from writer Qaisra Shahraz - also accept poems and non-fiction - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Reflex Fiction | UK | Varies | Varies | 360 | £7 | £1,200 |
Notes on Reflex Flash Fiction Competition: The inaugural competition was free to enter with a £100 prize - there is now an entry fee but the top prize is much bigger, so full details can be found on the big prize list below - CLOSED 2023 | ||||||
Reflex Fiction | UK | Varies | Varies | 360 | £7 | £1,200 |
Notes on Reflex Flash Fiction Competition: Any style / genre - winners (and many of the non-winning entries) are published on the Reflex Fiction website - CLOSED 2023 | ||||||
River Holme Connections 'My River in the Valley' Short Story Competition | UK | 6th July 2020 | 30th July 2020 | 500 | FREE | £50 |
Notes on River Holme Connections Competition: Any style / genre but themed around 'My River in the Valley' - only open to people living in Holme Valley UK - winning stories publicised on River Holme Connections social media platforms, website and in associated press - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Salisbury Literary Festival Story Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 500 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Salisbury Literary Festival Prize: Any style / genre, but must use a given story title, so see website for full details - winner usually receives a place on a writing course - winners published in Salisbury Journal - also run children's competition - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2022 update |
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Santa Barbara Literary Journal Award | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | FREE | Varies |
Notes on SB Lit Jo Prize: Any style / genre - winners published in Santa Barbara Literary Journal - top prize has been up to $100 in the past - to find award details, look in the 'About' section fo the website - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
Segora International Vignette Competition | France | June | August | 300 | £5 | £100 |
Notes on Segora Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website and invited to a presentation event in France - CLOSED 2022 after 15 years of running comps | ||||||
Senior Travel Expert's Writing Competition | UK | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 750 | FREE | £100 |
Notes on Senior Travel Expert's Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current theme - fiction and non-fiction entries accepted - winners published on website - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2020 |
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Shady Grove Flash Fiction Competition | USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | 300 | FREE | $100 |
Notes on Shady Grove Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website - DOESN'T LOOK ACTIVE ANYMORE, so removed listing 2020 | ||||||
Silver Apples The Cats Flash Competition | Ireland | 12th April 2022 | June | 500 | €5 | €100 |
Notes on Silver Apples Competition: Any style / genre but themed around cats - winner and shortlisted writers will be published in a special future issue of Silver Apples Magazine titled "Cats Flash" - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Sleek City Press Page Potential Contest | Canada | 7th March 2022 | 1st May 2022 | 900 | See notes | $1,000 |
Notes on Sleek City Press Contest: Any style / genre - entry fee is $14 for published writers, $9 for unpublished writers - generous cash prizes for runners up - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Sleek City Press Page Potential Contest | USA | 5th June 2022 | 10th July 2022 | 100 | $8 | $250 |
Notes on Sleek City Press Contest: Any style / genre - winners published on website - there are ten x prizes of $250 for the best drabbles (total prize pot of $2,500) - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Sleek City Press Prose Contest | Canada | 18th September 2022 | 3rd November 2022 | 1,000 | See notes | $600 |
Notes on Sleek City Press Contest: Any style / genre and prompt is "who I was, before this" - entry fee is $10, $5 for students - they also accept creative non-fiction - $600 prize is awarded in each catgory - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
SlingInk 500 Word Story Competition | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 500 | £5 | £100 |
Notes on SlingInk Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners published on website - entries must be exactly 500 words in length - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED during 2018, removed from lists 2019 | ||||||
SolitaryBzz Writing Competitions | USA | Weekly | Weekly | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on SolitaryBzz Competitions: Any style / genre but themes, word counts and entry fees vary, so check website for current details - winning stories published on the solitaryBzz website until they will compete in a no entry fee winners' competition - prizes have been up to $150 in the past - CLOSED 2021 | ||||||
Stafford LitFest Writing Competition | UK | February | March | 300 | £5 | £50 |
Notes on Stafford LitFest Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for full details - prize paid in vouchers - winner receives VIP invite to Stafford LitFest - winning entries published in local monthly magazine The Purple Diary - also accept poetry and run children's comp for 11 to 15 year-olds with free entry and 3 x £10 voucher prizes - look in the 'Events/Blog' section of their website to find competition details - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2021 | ||||||
Staunch Flash Fiction Prize | UK | September | October | 300 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Staunch Prize: A prize for thrillers in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped or murdered - winners receive publicity and might be published in anothology - CLOSED 2022 | ||||||
Stirling Robyns Publishing Flash & Micro Fiction Competitions | UK/USA | Quarterly | Quarterly | See notes | $3 | $100 |
Notes on Stirling Robyns Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in anthology and on website - flash fiction contest has a maximum word count of 1,000 words, micro fiction is 300 - NOT RUN since 2017, so removed listing 2019 | ||||||
Stories of the Nature of Cities Prize for Flash Fiction | USA | Varies | Varies | 750 | FREE | $2,000 |
Notes on Stories of the Nature of Cities Prize: Any style / genre but inspired by a phrase, so see website for current details - multiple generous runner-up cash prizes - winners published in anthology by Publication Studios - NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
Story Cities | UK | 16th September 2018 | November | 500 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Story Cities Competition: Any style or genre but themed so check website for full details - winners published in printed anthology and receive a free copy of the book CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Stroud Book Festival Flash Fiction Competition | UK | September | October | 500 | £5 | £500 |
Notes on Stroud Book Festival Competition: Any style, subject or theme - winners announced at the festival - also run a competition for young writers - look in the 'About Us' section to find competition details - not run since 2019 due to the pandemic, but they are hoping to re-open in 2022 so have left listing live for now - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed during 2023 update | ||||||
Sweek Flash Fiction Competitions | Holland | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Sweek Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on the website - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing during 2020 update | ||||||
Sweek Short Writing Contest | Holland | 25th of June | 12th July 2017 | 500 | FREE | €75 |
Notes on The Writers in Oxford Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Sydney Gardens Tree Weekender Writing Competition | UK | 1st November 2021 | November 2021 | 250 | FREE | £50 book token |
Notes on Sydney Gardens Competition: Any style or genre but themed around trees in parks and public gardens - winners published on website and as geo-located audio stories located in Bath, UK, and within Sydney Gardens - lots of other perks, so check website for more details - they also accept poetry - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Systems Change Alliance 2020 Flash Fiction Challenge | Portugal | 1st November 2020 | 1st December 2020 | 1,250 | FREE | €300 |
Notes on Systems Change Alliance Challenge: Any style / genre but themed around 'Visioning a Better World Beyond the Pandemic' - winners published on website - may become an annual competition in the future - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Tesseray Publishing Body Be Gone™ Flash Fiction Contest | USA | 28th October 2020 | November | 2,000 | FREE | $150 |
Notes on Tesseray Publishing Contest: Any style / genre but themed around the Body Be Gone™ game - winner also receives a copy of the game - winners published in anthology and receive 1 free copy each - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Tethered by Letters 'Don't Blink Or You'll Miss It' Twitter Competition | USA | Monthly | Monthly | See notes | FREE | See notes |
Notes on TBL Blink Competition: Any style / genre - stories must comply with Twitter (under 140 characters) using the hashtag #BlinkTBL - winner receives a copy of F(r)iction and gets a story edited for free by the judge - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing Jan 2018 |
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The Arcanist Ghost Story Contest | USA | 28th September 2018 | 1st October 2018 | 1,000 | See notes | $200 |
Notes on The Arcanist Contest: Ghost stories and hauntings -
$5 early bird, $7 standard and $10 last minute
- winner also receives
a Ghost Stories booklet and a special addition halloween t-shirt - winners published in The Arcanist - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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The Book Collector 'Fantasy Banquet for Bibliophiles' Competition | UK | 22nd January 2021 | 14th February 2021 | 1,000 | FREE | £500 |
Notes on The Book Collector Competition: Describe an imaginary banquet for book-lovers - characters can be alive, dead or fictional, from any period, of any age, colour or creed - winner published in The Book Collector - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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The Casket of Fictional Delights Flash Fiction Competition | UK | May | October | 300 | £5 | £150 |
Notes on The Casket of Fictional Delights Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website - the 10 winning stories will be professionally recorded and broadcast as audio stories on iTunes and other platforms - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing 2020 | ||||||
The Failing Writers Podcast Flash Fiction Competition | UK | 22nd October 2021 | 31st October 2021 | 666 | FREE | £100 |
Notes on The Failing Writers Podcast Competition: Any style or genre, but themed around Halloween - listen to Episode 24 of the Failing Writers Podcast for a specific word or phrase the story must include (see link for full details) - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
The Periscope Prize | UK | Varies | Varies | 900 | £10 | £1,500 |
Notes on the Periscope Prize: Any style / genre but check website for current theme / prompt - winners published online - entry times vary, but the comp usually runs twice a year - CLOSED, became a short story comp instead, so still running, just not flash anymore | ||||||
The Short Story (TSS) Flash Fiction 400 |
UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 400 | £5 | £400 |
Notes on TSS Competition: Any style / genre -
winning stories published online to a significant flash fiction readership -
1st place winners nominated for the Best Small Fiction Awards - NOT RUN FOR A YEAR, so removed listing 2020 |
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The Useless Beauty of Maupassant Short Story Award | UK | January | March | 10 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on TUBoM Award: Any style / genre - yes, the word limit is 10, it's not a misprint :-) - winner receives 50 copies of limited edition book containing the winning stories, a bottle of Absinthe designed by a local artist and a 1783 copy of The Arabian Nights (VOL. II) - CLOSED DUE TO POOR QUALITY OF WORKS SUBMITTED, so removed from lists Jan 2018 | ||||||
The Write Contest | USA | Bimonthly | Bimonthly | 350 | $15 | $100 |
Notes on The Write Contest: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current theme - winners are published on The Write Contest website and Facebook group - WEBSITE NO LONGER EXISTS, removed from lists Jan 2018 | ||||||
The Writers in Oxford Young Oxfordshire Writers Competition | UK | 31st August 2017 | November 2017 | 500 | FREE | £350 |
Notes on The Writers in Oxford Competition: Any style / genre but stories must be inspired by Oxford - winners published on website and in
The Oxford Writer Newsletter - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Theatre Cloud's Tell a Tale: Gothic Fiction | UK | 21st April 2018 | 16th May 2018 | 500 | FREE | £300 |
Notes on Theatre Cloud's Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for prompt - winner's published on the Theatre Cloud website - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Third Word Great Eighty Flash Fiction Competition | UK | Biweekly | Biweekly | 80 | FREE | £20 |
Notes on Third Word Competition: Any style / genre but stories must be exactly 80 words long - winners published in anthology that supports the homeless, but writers also receive a royalty from sales - LOOKS LIKE IT'S INACTIVE (last social media post was in 2018), so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
Those That Breathe Environmental Writing Competition | UK | Monthly during 2021 | Monthly during 2021 | Varies | £4 | See notes |
Notes on Those That Breathe Competition: Any style or genre, but themed so check website for details - the competition is open from the 1st until the 25th of each month during 2021 - proceeds from entry fees are donated to charities that are trying to make a difference to climate change - winners published on website and in anthology in 2022 - open to flash fiction, non-fiction, poetry and short stories - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
UNESCO and Idries Shah Foundation 'World Tales' Short Story Competition | UK | 15th October 2020 | December 2020 | 500 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on UNESCO Competition: Any style / genre but themed around 'Once upon a time in my future' - for writers aged 12 to 18 years old - 7 winners receive an iPad - winners and runners-up published in a hardcover book - CLOSED, was a one off | ||||||
Verbolatry Laugh-a-Riot Short Story Contest | UK | August | October | 500 | See notes | See notes |
Notes on Verbolatry Laugh-a-Riot Contest : Humorous style, check website for current theme - FREE entry means a top prize of £50; £5 paid entry means a top prize of £100 - winning stories published in Verbolatry newsletter and on website - NOT RUN SINCE 2016, so removed from lists Jan 2018 | ||||||
Walk Listen Create Poetry and Prose Writing Competition "Write About Walking Home" | UK | 31st January 2022 | April / September 2022 | 250 words | €6 | See notes |
Notes on Walk Listen Create Competition: Any style or subject, but theme is "walking home" - shortlisted writers will be included in an illustrated limited edition chapbook - top prize: Writer in Residence for Walk Listen Create 2022/3, silver membership worth €50, bespoke artwork by Alban Low - they also accept poetry - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Walk Listen Create's 'Write About Walking and Listening' Competition | Belgium | 8th August 2021 | September | 250 | €6 | See notes |
Notes on Walk Listen Create's Competition: Any style or genre but themed about walking and listening - open to poetry and prose - winner becomes Writer in Residence for Walk Listen Create's Sound Walk in September 2022 - winning stories are published in a limited edition illustrated anthology by Sampson Low Publishers, and made available as an audio book - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Wandering Fun with Stevenson's Fable Competition | UK | 2nd April 2022 | 16th June 2022 | 350 | FREE | £500 |
Notes on WFWS Fable Competition: For fables 'in the style of Stevenson' so check website for details - a selection of entries may be published by the Robert Louis Stevenson Club - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
Wax Poetry and Art Magazine's Flash Fiction Contest | Canada | Monthly | Monthly | 300 | FREE | See notes |
Notes onWax Poetry And Art Contest: Any style / genre - there is no monetary prize, but winners are published online and in print and will receive royalties from sales - NO FICTION published since 2016, so removed listing 2019 - see poetry comps lists for details of poetry competition | ||||||
Wellness Retreats For Women 'Write A Book, Rewrite Your Life' Contest | USA | 4th April 2017 | 5th April 2017 | 250 | FREE | $100 |
Notes on Wellness Retreats For Women Contest: Any style, but themed so check website for details - all entries published on blog - CLOSED 2017, was a one-off |
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Wenlock Olympians Flash Fiction Competition | UK | 31st October 2020 | March 2021 | 1,000 | £5 | £150 |
Notes on Wenlock Olympians Competition: Any style / genre but themed; there are 3 themes to choose from, so check website for full details - winner's story read at a Wenlock Olympian Celebration evening in March 2021 and it is planned for the winners entries to be read out on local radio - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Wimbledon Bookfest Short Story Competition | UK | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Wimbledon Bookfest Competition: Themed, so check website for current theme (look in NEWS section of the site) - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing during 2021 update |
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Women in Comedy Festival Comedy Writing Competition | UK | October | October | 1,000 | £3 | £50 |
Notes on Women In Comedy Competition: Comedy - short stories, sketches and monologues - winners stories performed at the festival and published on the website - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2020 |
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WordHound's Weekly Writing Challenge | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 300 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Wordhound's Challenge: Any style / genre but they have a monthly topic, so check website for details - entrants must aged 12 or under - prizes vary but have been goodie-bags of sweets and stationery in the past - winners published on blog - to find competition details, look in the 'blog' section of their website - CLOSED | ||||||
Write From The Heart Microfiction Competition | Australia | Quarterly | Quarterly | 100 | Varies | See notes |
Notes on Write From The Heart Competition: Any style / genre - %50 of entry fees go to charity, %40 into the prize pool and %10 for admin costs - winner recieves 70% of the prize pool, 2nd place 20%, 3rd 10% - entry fee varies but has been around the $2/$3 mark in the past | ||||||
Write Story Books For Children Winter Writing Competition | UK | December | February | 500 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on Write Story Books For Children Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for full details -
winner receives an Amazon Kindle e-Reader and a collection of Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairytales - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2020 |
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Writers' HQ Flash Quarterly Contest | UK | Quarterly | Quarterly | 500 | FREE | £100 and see notes |
Notes on Writers' HQ Contest: Any style / genre - winner receives membership to Writers' HQ, access to online writing courses and writing retreats - winners published on the WHQ site and in an annual anthology - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2021 update | ||||||
Writers' HQ 'From LGBTQ With Love The Fight Back' Flash Fiction Contest | UK | 30th November 2018 | ? | 500 | FREE | £100 |
Notes on Writers' HQ Contest: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for full details - in addition to cash prizes, Writers' HQ subscriptions are given away - winners published on website and maybe in a book too - CLOSED, was a one-off |
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Writing Maps A3 Review Short Fiction Contest | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 150 | $5 | £250 |
Notes on Writing Maps A3 Review Contest: Any style / genre - competition cycle lasts six months - each month, two entries win publication in the A3 Review - three overall winning entries receive cash prizes - yes, entry fee is in dollars, that's not a typo - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2020 |
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Writers' Retreat UK Short, Short Story Competition | UK | Bi-Annually | Bi-Annually | 1,000 | £15 | £200 and see notes |
Notes on Writers' Retreat UK Competition: Any style / genre - winner receives cash plus a free place on a writing retreat - multiple cash prizes - winners published in anthology - WRITING COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON THE WEBSITE, just wordsearch contest, so removed listing during 2022 update | ||||||
Writing Writers Drabble Competition | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 100 | FREE | £35 |
Notes on Writing Writers Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on the website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019 | ||||||
Yale and Yeoman 'The Yeoman’s Word' | Australia | 19th November 2021 | 4th January 2022 | 1,000 | $7 | $500 |
Notes on The Yeoman’s Word: Historical fiction based mostly between (or linked to) 500 CE to 1500 CE - stories must conclude with some type of moral or witty remark from the narrator - CLOSED, was a one-off | ||||||
YSCI-FI Flash Fiction Competition | UK | 28th February 2018 | 13st March 2018 | 1,000 | FREE | $250 |
Notes on YSCI-FI Competition: Any style / genre - CLOSED 2018, was a one-off |
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Zen Garden / Voiceclub Flash Fiction Competitions | USA | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Notes on Zen Garden Competitions: Any style / genre - Zen Garden teamed up with Voice Club in 2020, so best to check website for current competitions - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 |
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Zeroflash | UK | Monthly | Monthly | 300 | FREE | See notes |
Notes on
Zeroflash
Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners might be published in anthology - there used to be a £10 prize, but can't find any mention of it on the site anymore - WENT ON HAITUS FOR OVER A YEAR and main website disappeared in 2020 - wordpress one still exists but nothing running, so removed listing during 2021 update |
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Zizzle Literary Flash Fiction Contest | Hong Kong SAR |
March | May | 1,000 | $5 | $1,000 |
Notes on Zizzle Literary Contest: Any style / genre but check website for prompts -
for fiction that will appeal to readers from age 11 to adult - generous cash prizes for runners-up - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2022 |
Kevin C
You may have already heard this from others, but the Mash flash fiction competition has now ceased operating, sadly.
Chris Fielden
Hi Kevin. Oh, that’s a shame.
I didn’t know, so thanks for letting me know.
I’ll update the page accordingly.
Shirley M
Hi Chris, the 1,000 words or less comp page in Australia just seems to go up to 2016, can't find 2017 details, so maybe defunct?
Chris Fielden
Thanks for letting me know, Shirley.
I've contacted the people who run the competition, but retired the listing for now as the site is over 12 months out of date.
I'll reinstate the listing if I hear back.
Jason L
Hi. Do you have a free flash fiction competition?
Chris Fielden
Hi Jason. I run a lot of free flash fiction writing challenges. You can learn about the challenges here.
If that's not what you're looking for, there are quite a few free competitions in the lists above.
Marina N
I've discovered Sweek thanks to your awesome list, sir! And can't thank you enough for that. That is an excellent platform for aspiring writers allowing us to grow via free reading, writing, and sharing. Love their flash fiction contests!
Also, adore Ad Hoc Fiction.
Heartfelt thanks!
Chris Fielden
Thanks, Marina - very kind of you to say so :-)
I hope you're writing is going well!
Samuel N
Thanks for the information.
Chris Fielden
No problem, Samuel :-)
Amy O
Hi Chris, in regards to the flash competition that discriminates against LGBTQ+, a counter competition has been set up by the lovely Writers HQ in response with some great prizes. Would be great if you could list it on the website as an alternative!
Chris Fielden
Hi Amy. Thanks for letting me know about this - much appreciated. Listed!
Dave M
Hi Chris, there's a site called 50 word stories which I can't see in your lists (it may be there, I'm dizzied by it all). This site publishes two 50 word stories every weekday. The best story of every week gets to go into the final at the end of the month. The winner, chosen by the editor gets 10$ (Canadian). I was published on it three times last year (never made the final - always the bridesmaid). It's a great way to hone editing skills, says he babbling on.
Cheers mate, Dave Earl of Huyton
Chris Fielden
Fab, thanks for letting me know about 50 Word Stories, Dave Earl of Huyton.
I have added it to the regular flash comps list :-)
Teresa T
Hello, I wanted to cite your page as a source for a paper. This is made more difficult by the fact that the information at the bottom of the page is covered by an ad that I am not able to close. (Well, it said the ad was closed by Google, so now it is just a blank tan square that still blocks the information.) The information there is not crucial for my purposes, but I thought you might want to know how the page appears to a viewer.
Chris Fielden
Hi Teresa. Thanks for letting me know - very much appreciated.
The ads are automated by AdSense (Google) so there's nothing I can do about it unfortunately - it's a problem their end.
I would consider removing the ads, but as it's a source of income that helps me cover the costs of running the website, I'm not in a position to do so unfortunately.
Thanks for citing my website. I wish you all the best with your paper.
Rebecca J C
Thank you so much for this whole list, and all of the extra information and updates.
And thank you for standing up for the LGBTQ+ community. That contest that excludes LGBTQ+ "content" and compares a whole community to "cats" is absolutely homophobic. I hope other writers will join me in NEVER submitting to it.
Chris Fielden
Hi Rebecca. Thank you for your kind words, much appreciated.
No problem at all re sticking for the LGBTQ+ community. I will always support acceptance and equality :-)
Sagar J
Hi, Chris. Thanks a lot for the lists. Here's one more you may consider adding to it: Friday Flash Fiction.
Your short stories from your book 'How to Write a Short Story...' are mind blowing. Particularly 'The Ninja Zombie Knitting Circle' and 'Mr. Kill'. Thanks again.
Chris Fielden
Hi Sagar. Thanks for letting me know about FFF - very much appreciated. It doesn't look like it's a competition, so I've added it to the Flash Fiction Magazines list on this page. If I have that wrong, please do let me know.
Thank you for buying my book. It's great to hear that you enjoyed it :-)
Miriam H
Hi Chris, thank you for the comprehensive list. I've written some flash fiction 1000 words or less. Sorry to see the two sites are inactive. Are there more sites running the same contests? Thanks.
Chris Fielden
Hi Miriam. No problem at all, thank you for your comment.
Which two inactive sites are you referring to? If you let me know, I'll take a look for you :)
Kelly J
In your listings, could you make notations on whether anyone from around the globe can submit or if it's specific to that country only?
Thanks, Chris!
P.S. I'm simply blown away at the sheer extensiveness of this list you've compiled. Beautiful job!
Chris Fielden
Hi Kelly. Thanks for your message. As noted at the top of the page, the vast majority of competitions I list on this resource - and all the other resources on my site - accept entries from anywhere in the world. If the rules state that the competition is for writers living in certain countries / regions, I already mention that in the listing. EG, the Prescott Festival listing notes "only open to unpublished writers living in the six Merseyside boroughs of Liverpool (Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Halton, Wirral or Liverpool)". I hope that helps :)
That said, please be sure to check each contest's terms and conditions before entering as they do change. Because I list so many comps it's impossible to stay on top of every change.
Really glad to hear you find the lists helpful. All the very best to you :)
Kelly J
Thanks Chris. I guess I'm one of the few writers who don't know how to read! Thank you for being gracious in your response.
Chris Fielden
No problem, Kelly :)
These resources are huge, so it’s very easy to miss some of the notes. Many users do the same, so no worries at all. All the best :)
Sid K
Short stories are always interesting to listen to. I was always fond of stories in my childhood.
Chris Fielden
Thanks Sid, that's good to know :-)
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