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Month: April 2013

Published on Leave a comment on Bulletin 29/04/2013

Hello everyone,

Well, things are moving on apace, as ever, and we are now less than 2 months from this year's day. So, if you are planning on holding an event, reading, workshop, or other on or around the Day, then it's time to get organising and send the details over to us so we can spread the word. 
At the moment we're gathering information, ready to do a large update to the website, so if you have something please do send it across. This also applies if you are a writer and would like to update your info, or want to be added, or maybe you represent an organisation/magazine/project and would like a listing. Whatever it is, we want to know so we can share it with everyone else.
With regard to the website, it got a little bit of a facelift earlier this year as a temporary measure. We'd like to do some more work with it so if you are a web-design-person, or know one, and would be willing to donate some time to improving our look, please do get in touch. Thank you!
In other news, we recently ran the FlashFlood journal and published a huge stream of wonderful stories. If you missed it, they are all still online at http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.co.uk/.
And, if you were following that, it's possible you missed our other announcements that came out on the same day: 
First, we announced the winners of our micro-fiction competition. You can read the list of finalists, and their stories, here: http://nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/competitions.html.
We also sent out our call for submissions for this year's anthology, closing date of 17th May, full details on the website at: http://nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/anthology.html. Please spread the details of this,so we can get as many submissions as possible. 
And, of course, that request goes for all of the things we do. It's your participation that will make National Flash-Fiction Day a success, so please spread the website address, Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/nationalflashfictionday) and Twitter feed (https://twitter.com/nationalflashfd) with anyone who might be interested. 
And now, the really interesting things. There are already flash-things afoot, some for the Day, some just because, and you can get involved in any or all of them:
The Lightship One Page competition, judged by yours truly, closes tomorrow, so you still have time to enter if you want to.
And they have a flash-fiction competition, being judged by the wonderful Etgar Keret, closing in June.
The Bristol Prize for short stories also closes tomorrow, at http://www.bristolprize.co.uk/, so enter now!
And Kath Kerr's yearlong flash-fiction project, MrsFlash365 also finishes tomorrow, with the 365th story. If you haven't seen it, now's your time to check it out.
To help you get ready for NFFD, I am once again running my online flash-fiction course, starting on May 7th, full details at http://www.calumkerr.co.uk/pp007.shtml
1000words, the image based publication, is once again open for submissions until 24th May: http://1000words.org.uk/the-1000words-national-flash-fiction-day-competition/
Bridport are running their competition again, which closes on 31st May http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/content/flash-fiction-entry.
And if you are in New Zealand, don't forget to submit to the NZ-NFFD competition, closing date 31st May. http://nationalflash.wordpress.com/competition/
Raging Aadvark are once again running their Twisted Tales anthology, with a closing date of 7th July. https://ragingaardvarkpublications.submittable.com/submit
Spry, is a new literary journal which also publishes flash, so why not have a read of their first issue and consider sending them something http://www.sprylit.com/
Flashpoints, the site-specific flash-fiction project launched for last year's day, is still ongoing. Please do check it out at http://nffdflashpoints.blogspot.co.uk/ and why not head out into the world and write them a story?
And finally, we have our first fully confirmed event for the Day itself, which will be held at the Shrewsbury Coffeehouse on Wednesday 19th June at 7.00pm. More info at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/373661482658904/?fref=ts

That's it for now, but I think that's plenty to keep you busy! Remember to plan your event and send the information over to us, and we'll see you soon!
All best
Calum

Published on Leave a comment on Bulletin 19/04/2013

Hello all,

Well, as you have hopefully noticed, today is a busy day here at NFFD Towers as we launch ourselves for this year's Day - just 2 months away!
We have a FlashFlood journal running, publishing over a hundred flash-fictions across the day (http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.co.uk/). 
And we have also announced the winners of the micro-fiction competition over on our website (http://nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/competitions.html) and blog (http://nationalflashfictionday.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/micro-fiction-competition-2013-results.html). 
We had also hoped to brag about all the other things in pipeline, but we are currently having to reapply for funding, and attempt to source other funds to do the things we want to do. (If you have any ideas, please do send them through!) 
But we're not going to let that stop us though, and NFFD2013 moves on apace. Over the next week we are going to be updating the website with new author bios and details of events and competitions. So, if you haven't already, please send through the details of what you are planning,and we'll add them to the site.
Alternatively, if you haven't yet thought about what you plan to do, then now is the time to start. Last year we had competitions, workshops, readings, slams, flash-mobs and loads more, so get your thinking/organising caps on and let us know all about them.
We are also going to launch the 'International' part of the Day, so if you are outside the UK and wish to organise an event wherever you are, please let us know all about it.
We are also pleased to open our call for submissions for this year's anthology. Last year we asked for one word stories, this year we're changing it a little and asking for pieces which have been inspired in some way by other works of art - stories, books, films, music, art, photographs etc. The word limit is 500 and the deadline is May 17th. Submissions are welcome from all over the world. Full details can be found here: http://nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/anthology.html.
And that's it for now, except to thank you for all your hard work, and to encourage you to keep spreading the word about NFFD. Without your support and engagement, the day wouldn't happen. 
Until next time,
All the best

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Published on 9 Comments on Micro-Fiction Competition 2013 – Results Announcement

We received nearly 450 entries for our competition this year, and the standard was amazingly high. Choosing just 10 winners was incredibly difficult, but the judges managed it in the end.

So, without any further fanfare, the winners - and their stories - are...

First Prize: 'A Handful' by Tim Stevenson

Second Prize: 'Spinning' by Oliver Barton

Third Prize: 'X' by Amy Mackelden

Highly Commended:
'Lost For Words' by Andrea Mullaney
'My Grandad was Roy Rogers' by Anouska Huggins
'Dot to Dot man' by Alison Wells
'Slather' by Clare Kirwan
'The Gradual Discovery of Loss' by Eva Holland
'All Light' by Alan Beard
'India' by Joanna Campbell

Congratulations to all of them!

Published on Leave a comment on Funding Thanks!

Hello everyone,

Well, our crowd-sourced fundraising experiment ended yesterday and, while we didn't hit out target, we're still really pleased and grateful to everyone who helped out by either donating directly or simply spreading the word and helping others with spare cash to find us.

Our specific thanks need to go to our sponsors who were, in no particular order:

Kylie Grant, Anouska Huggins, Pete Domican, Angela Williams, Nuala Ni Chonchuir, Jonathan Pinnock, Patrick Prinsloo, A E Peters, Sarah Logan, Joanne Selley, Alison Wells, Eva Lyne, Karen Storey, Carys Bray, Tracey Upchurch, Ninette Hartley, Andy Lavender, William Kelly, Martin Palmer, Duncan Smith, Danielle McLaughlin, Helena Mallett, Jill Phillips, Laura Huntley, Tim Stevenson, Anna-Louise Hecks, Polly Robinson, Elaine Borthwick, Judith Kerr, Duncan Kerr, Joanne Key, Cath Barton, Waseem Hussain, Rachael Dunlop, Cathy Bryant, Susi Holliday, Sarah Snell-Pym, Pauline Masurel, Kevlin Henney, Adam Horovitz, Sal Page, Shirley Golden, Carlie Lee, Diane Simmons, Stella Turner, Jen Hamilton-Emery, Vanessa Gebbie and Sarah Salway.

A huge thanks to these Patrons of the Arts!

Depending on how much was given, some will get their names emblazoned on the website and in this year's anthology. Some will get that and also receive a copy of the anthology when it happens. Some will get all of that plus a bespoke story pamphlet written by yours truly. The remainder get our heartfelt thanks and (in my best Robert Robinson voice) THIS round of applause!
The money we hoped to raise would have paid for this year's anthology and also a new shiny website for the day. If you Arts Council look on us with favour then the latter may still happen, but we feel that the anthology is more important and so the £725 we did raise will be earmarked for that purpose. We will be opening submissions for the anthology quite soon, so do keep your eyes open. 
That's it for now, except for me to once again add my thanks to you all. National Flash-Fiction Day is a labour of love for me, but some of things we do actually require money, and you have helped enormously. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Until next time, all best wishes.
Calum Kerr
Director of National Flash-Fiction Day 2013.

Published on Leave a comment on Micro-Fiction Competition 2013 – The Longlist

Hello all,

Pleased to announce that we now have our longlist for the Micro-Fiction competition. The judges are whittling it down to the winners and so I don't want to reveal who wrote which story, but here is a list of the authors who made it to the top. Congratulations to them all!

Oliver Barton
Alan Beard
Joanna Campbell
Stephen Carragher
Donald Chegwin
Amber Dodd
Lindsay Fisher
Glenys Grey
Kit Haggard
Eva Holland
Susan Howe
Anouska Huggins
Clare Kirwan
Debbie Kinsey
Chelsea Covington Maass
Amy Mackelden
Pauline Masurel
Andrea Mullaney
Jo Norris
Tim Stevenson,
Pete Walsh
Barbara Weeks
Alison Wells
Selina Siak Chin Yoke