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Author: Ingrid Jendrzejewski
National Flash-Fiction Day 2018 is nearly here.
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Happy National Flash-Fiction Day 2017!
Hello everyone,
Yes, it's here again. This is the sixth National Flash-Fiction Day (and they said it wouldn't last).
As ever, there are a number of events happening all over the UK and beyond, details of which you can read on our website at http://host2021.temp.domains/~nationo0/events.htmlEarlier in the year, we ran our micro-fiction competition, and you can read the winning stories at http://host2021.temp.domains/~nationo0/results.html
We also took submissions for our anthology, Sleep is a Beautiful Colour, which you can now buy online at Amazon in both paperback and kindle versions. The book also includes all the competition winners, as well as wonderful stories from some of the best flash-fictioneers in the world.
The anthology will also be on sale at the launch, this evening, as part of the UK's first ever Flash-Fiction Literary Festival, in Bath. Details about that are online at https://bathflashfictionaward.com/2017/03/flash-fiction-festival-sat-24th-sun-25th-june-2017/
And, last but not even a little bit least, we are once again flooding the internet with flash-fiction with our FlashFlood. You can read the stories as they appear on our blog (http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.co.uk) but also through our Facebook and Twitter feeds. And, don't worry, the stories will remain on the blog after tomorrow, along with over 1000 stories from previous issues.
Once again, it will be a massive day to celebrate the smallest prose fictions, and thanks must go to all who help organise the day, and all of you for your support in writing and reading and taking part in the day.
Special thanks to my co-Director Tino Prinzi, without whom the day wouldn't have happened.
And that's enough of me. The Flood is now flooding, the day is unfolding before you. So go forth and Flash!
Calum Kerr
co-Director
Happy National Flash-Fiction Day
Yes, it's finally here, after all that waiting, the 5th (can you believe it?) annual celebration of the small story-form we all know and love.
Now, I know that you, like me, might be a little worse for wear after the last couple of days, and 2016 has taken a toll on us all, but today is not a time to worry about that. It's a time for Flashing!
Things kicked off earlier in the week, with a workshop in Winchester, and today we have events running all over the UK.
- In Oxford, Virginia Moffatt will be flash-writer in residence all day at the Albion Beatnik Bookstore.
- In Manchester there is a workshop being hosted by Verbose in Fallowfield.
- In Cardiff there will be an Art and story event at the Chapter Arts Centre.
- In Southampton there will be a flash workshop at the Art House.
- And in Bristol there will be a workshop, a walk, and an evening of readings and the launch of our anthology.
Details of all these can be found at http://host2021.temp.domains/~nationo0/events.html
And that's not all, as that webpage will tell you, on Sunday, in Dublin, you can join in Big Smoke's Flash Dash, on Monday we have an evening of readings in Manchester, again hosted by Verbose, and on Tuesday, in Belfast, you can learn to write flash with Paul McVeigh!
As mentioned above, at the Bristol event we are also launching this year's anthology, A Box of Stars Beneath the Bed. But if you can't make it to Bristol, the book is available on Amazon in:
Paperback - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Box-Stars-Beneath-Bed-Flash-Fiction/dp/1534712682
and, Kindle - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Box-Stars-Beneath-Bed-Flash-Fiction-ebook/dp/B01H7QRZ2K
(change the .co.uk to your local ending for your country's version of the store).
And, if that wasn't enough, the Flash is currently Flooding from our online journal, and through our Facebook and Twitter feeds - a story every 10 minutes for the whole 24 hours.
But wherever you are, and whatever you're doing, a big thank you from me and the team for all your support for NFFD. We never expected to be here for our 5th, and it's all thanks to you.
So, Happy Day and Happy Flashing!
Calum Kerr
Director
National Flash-Fiction Day
The Box of Stars Beneath the Bed – Cover Reveal
Well, I've spent all day with my crayons. I've done my best to stay inside the lines (I had my tongue peeking out of the corner of my mouth, and everything) and now have a finished cover for your viewing delectation.
So, here it is, hope you like it. On sale for National Flash-Fiction Day on 25th June 2016.
More information about all events at http://host2021.temp.domains/~nationo0/.
Anthology Title and Full Track Listing
Well, the anthology is now fully assembled, and we hope it will be available for sale online before the day. We can now reveal that the title will be A Box of Stars Beneath the Bed, taken from Jon Stubbington's story.
We've also managed to include a series of commissioned stories from a range of wonderful writers - some familiar names, and some up-and-coming writers. The full 'track-listing' is below, with all the wonderful stories you'll be able to read.
As well as online, we'll have copies of the book at the launch event in Bristol on NFFD itself. More information about that, all the other events, can be found on the website at http://host2021.temp.domains/~nationo0/events.html.
A Box of Stars Beneath the Bed
Before the Sun Comes Up Tim Stevenson
Miss Scarlet in the Shed Tracy Fells
Cold Hands Rhoda Greaves
Ambush Richard Holt
Outsider Laura Huntley
Theseus in Belleville Anne Elizabeth Weisgerber
Bocca Baciata Ruth McKee
Health and Pleasure, Glorious Sea! Sharon Telfer
Gingerbread Virginia Moffat
A Marionettist’s Musings While on a Park Bench Charley Karchin
Bubblegum Barbie Emily Devane
Lifer Adam Trodd
Shirts – A Fable R J Dent
Sam, 29 Martha Gleeson
Three Kids, Two Balloons KM Elkes
Who? What? Ashley Chantler
Pub Quiz Alison Wassell
Sushi and Kitty Cats Kaitlyn Johnson
Desert Blossom Annie Mitchell
Premiums Ian Shine
Misunderstanding Vivien Jones
Wakes Week David Hartley
Burning Faith Frankie McMillan
Pigeon English David Cook
Kittiwakes Catherine Edmunds
The Door Closes Kevlin Henney
Clippers Debbi Voisey
I Go on the Morrow to Murder the King Joy Myserscough
Special Delivery Calum Kerr
Grains Joanna Campbell
Panda Fat Roland
Fish Supper Laura Tickle
The Vineyard Catherine McNamara
What We Threw Into The Lake Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
The Pleasure Principle Rob Walton
Onion Damhnait Monaghan
My Aunt Aggie Paul McVeigh
A Box of Stars Beneath the Bed Jon Stubbington
A Collection Diane Simmons
Kelly Loves Traffic Light Jelly Jeanette Sheppard
Yellow Nuala Ní Chonchúir
424 Likes Jennifer Harvey
Manspreading Marie Gethins
Wake Up Oli Morriss
When Dreams are Large and Tusked Ingrid Jendrzejewski
Ten Things that Happened After My Funeral Santino Prinzi
What the Therapist Said Jude Higgins
Gregor Samsa Quits the Track Team Beverly C. Lucey
Honesty’s Not the Best Policy Brendan Way
Orphans Chris Stanley
And the Red Flower Nina Lindmark Lie
One Last Pickup Sarah Hilary
Sunday Morning John Holland
About Unemployment and Rats Bernard O’Rourke
Captain Strix Zoe Gilbert
Latchkey Fiona J. Mackintosh
Lips Nik Perring
Map Reading Jane Roberts
How to Make Lolo Michelle Elvy
Family Values Jonathan Pinnock
Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night Claire Fuller
Hornet’s Nest Sally Burnette
The Taste of Sock and Rubber Cathy Bryant
In the Café Sherri Turner
On the Invisibility of the Deaf Debbie Young
Flying Ant Day Judy Darley
Marzipan Bride and Groom Sal Page
I Believe in You Meg Pokrass
When She Was Good Safia Moore
Injuries in Dust Poppy O’Neill
We Can Be Asteroids FJ Morris
Purple with a Purpose Amanda Saint
Little Ghosts Jan Carson
The Night Life of Wives Angela Readman
National Flash-Fiction Day 2016
Micro-Fiction Competition Winners
The Jumper Anne Patterson
A One-Word Yet... Ingrid Jendrzejewski
Storm Gemma Govier
Jessie Learns How to Keep A Secret Alison Wassell
Illumination Judi Walsh
When Words Aren’t Enough Lucy Welch
Christmas James Watkins
Always One Tracy Fells
Notes Elaine Marie McKay
Energy Efficient, Extremely Slim, Easy to Install Ed Broom
Anthology 2016
Well, we've finally made it through to the other side, and now we are able to announce the stories which have made it into this year's National Flash-Fiction Day anthology.
We received nearly 500 stories (168,000 words, or thereabouts) and these are the 50 which made it in. So, if you were unsuccessful, please take comfort that it was a difficult decision from a large field of excellent work. The ones that we picked are the stories we felt would make the most compelling compendium, and a great snapshot of current flash-fiction.
To those of you who made it in: Congratulations!
As well as the stories listed below, the anthology will include the 10 micro-fiction competition winners, plus a range of commissioned stories from some truly exceptional writers.
The anthology doesn't have a name yet, but we hope to announce it very soon, and it will be on sale on National Flash-Fiction Day at the event in Bristol (and possibly elsewhere) as well as online in paper and e-book formats.
Anyway, with no further waffle, here are the stories which will soon be printed up and bound for your edification.
Adam Trodd - Lifer
Alison Wassell - Pub Quiz
Amanda Saint - Purple with a Purpose
Anne Elizabeth Weisgerber - Theseus in Belleville
Bernard O'Rourke - About Unemployment and Rats
Catherine Edmunds - Kittiwakes
Catherine McNamara - The Vineyard
Charley Karchin - A Marionettist’s Musings While on a Park Bench
Chris Stanley - Orphans
David Cook - Pigeon English
Debbi Voisey - Clippers
Diane Simmons - A Collection
Downith Monaghan - Onion
Emily Devane - Bubblegum Barbie
Fiona J. Mackintosh - Latchkey
Frankie McMillan - Burning Faith
Ian Shine - Premiums
Ingrid Jendrzejewski - When Dreams are Large and Tusked
Jan Carson - Little Ghosts
Jane Roberts - Map Reading
Jeanette Sheppard - Kelly Loves Traffic Light Jelly
Jennifer Harvey - 424 Likes
Joanna Campbell - Grains
John Holland - Sunday Morning
Jon Stubbington - A Box of Stars Beneath the Bed
Jonathan Pinnock - Family Values
Joy Myserscough - I Go on the Morrow to Murder the King
Jude Higgins - What the therapist said
Judy Darley - Flying Ant Day
K M Elkes - Three Kids, Two Balloons
Kaitlyn Johnson - Sushi and Kitty Cats
Laura Tickle - Fish Supper
Marie Gethins - Manspreading
Martha Gleeson - Sam, 29
Michelle Elvy - How To Make Lolo
Beverly C. Lucey - Gregor Samsa Quits the Track Team
Nik Perring - Lips
Nina Lindmark Lie - And the Red Flower
Poppy O’Neill - Injuries in Dust
Rhoda Greaves - Cold Hands
Richard Holt - Ambush
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan - What We Threw Into the Lake
Ruth McKee - Bocca Baciata
Safia Moore - When She Was Good
Sal Page - Marzipan Bride and Groom
Sally Burnette - Hornet’s Nest
Sharon Telfer - Health and Pleasure, Glorious Sea!
Sherri Turner - In the Café
Tracy Fells - Miss Scarlet in the Shed
Vivien Jones - Misunderstanding
NFFD 2016 Competition Results
Well, it only seems a little while ago we were announcing the longlist for our 100-word micro-fiction competition for 2016. And it was. But now, without having kept you waiting for too long, we're pleased to present the winners.
As I said in the last post, we had over 500 entries for this year's competition, and a word of thanks must go to the judges - Cathy Bryant, Kevlin Henney, Cathy Lennon, Angela Readman, Tim Stevenson and Rob Walton - for their hard work in reading through and making the difficult decisions.
Thanks to everyone who entered, and remember, if you weren't successful this time, there will be plenty more chances for you to be involved with National Flash-Fiction Day. Just go to the website at http://host2021.temp.domains/~nationo0/ to find out more.
Below are a list of the top ten stories, and below that we have shared the stories so you can see for yourselves what great winners we have. Please join us in congratulating these fine writers!
First Place Winner: ‘The Jumper’ by Anne Patterson
Second Place Winner: ‘A One-Word Yet Possibly Longer-Than-Necessary Personal Essay Dedicated to My Soon-to-Be Ex-Boyfriend Who Doesn't Believe Me When I Tell Him I Can Write Something This Short That Sums up Everything There Is to Say about Our Relationship, Our Future Together, and His Allegedly Legendary Sexual Organ’ by Ingrid Jendrzejewski
Third Place Winner: ‘Storm’ by Gemma Govier
Highly Commended Stories:
‘Jessie Learns How To Keep A Secret’ by Alison Wassell
‘Illumination’ by Judi Walsh
‘When Words Aren’t Enough’ byLucy Welch
‘Christmas’ by James Watkins
‘Always One’ by Tracy Fells
‘Notes’ by Elaine Marie McKay
‘Energy Efficient, Extremely Slim, Easy to Install’ by Ed Broom
First Place Winner:
‘The Jumper’
by Anne Patterson
I fell in love with a jumper last Christmas. A wool-nylon-mohair mix picked up after the Christmas do. On the bus home, I slipped it on. Mmm; aftershavy, inky, lagery with a touch of exercise. If it were a scent it would be ‘Office Party’. A group email might have led to a request to pop it into internal mail, so I hung on. I kept it in bed; close in winter; further away in summer; like a lover. This Christmas, I’ll wear it. Underneath I’ll wear nothing. If he asks for his jumper back I’ll give it to him.
Second Place Winner:
‘A One-Word Yet Possibly Longer-Than-Necessary Personal Essay Dedicated to My Soon-to-Be Ex-Boyfriend Who Doesn't Believe Me When I Tell Him I Can Write Something This Short That Sums up Everything There Is to Say about Our Relationship, Our Future Together, and His Allegedly Legendary Sexual Organ’
by Ingrid Jendrzejewski
Ha.
Third Place Winner:
‘Storm’
by Gemma Govier
First there was the shock of soft raindrops on my cheeks and nose, then cold, damp shoulders, thighs, knees. I felt if I ran I could protect my warm skin. It even rained inside my mouth as I pushed against the wind. Finally, with misted glasses, I am sodden. My socks squelch in my shoes. I slow down my pace.
When you finally said you were leaving, I was calm. It's not being wet, you see, it's the process of getting wet.
Highly Commended Stories:
‘Jessie Learns How To Keep A Secret’
by Alison Wassell
‘She’s a secret scribe,’ teased Jessie’s mother. Fuzzy and mellow from her first wine Jessie took poems from the box under her bed and offered them as a birthday gift. In the morning they lay in a pile beside her egg and soldiers. Jessie’s mother kissed the top of her head.
‘I liked the one about the old lady best,’ she said. This was how Jessie learned that no place is truly secret, nobody to be trusted. The old lady poem had not been among those offered.
Jessie keeps her poems in her head now, where they can’t be found.
‘Illumination’
by Judi Walsh
It’s dark, and the bus is late. In the house opposite, the woman talks with big gestures. The man turns his glass, half a revolution at a time. He shouts and starts to leave. As he brushes past, she folds into her seat like she has a slow puncture. She wipes something from her face: a tear, or spittle perhaps? The bus arrives. “Oi, missy!” the driver shouts, and I flash my card at him, racing upstairs to the back. I just manage to see her, arms extended, mouthing something, no, singing something, twirling by herself.
‘When Words Aren’t Enough’
byLucy Welch
He was like too many words crammed into a box. He'd come into the cafe every morning for breakfast with all those words tangled together behind his eyes. The P of Pain looping round the S bends in Loss, caught within the sharp angles of the A of Anger. He'd do the crossword and I'd imagine him looking through clues for the key to let the words out. He'd leave it behind, unfinished. One day we worked on it, all the staff, to the last square, and gave it back next morning. That was when he first sang for us.
‘Christmas’
by James Watkins
First we dug a hole in the snow. Mama stepped into it naked; we filled snow back in around her feet. She put her arms out and Papa draped tinsel all around while I tied back her hair. We hung a bauble from each nipple and I looked for the fairy to tie to her hairband. I couldn't find it, but attached a small figurine of the Virgin Mary instead.
On Christmas Day, Tom Raye the competition judge declared that ours was certainly the most desirable tree and, according to Papa, had thought so every weeknight for the last month.
‘Always One’
by Tracy Fells
There’s always one. The nutter on the bus. An old lady, with tight white curls like finger rolls, takes the seat behind you. She starts plaiting your hair. Bit of a cheek, you think. What if your religion prohibits plaits? What if hair plaiting sets off your narcolepsy? Her breath smells sweet like pineapple chunks. You twist round to point out how she needs a licence to do that, lady! She moves to another seat, but her fingers still fiddle at the back of your neck. The other passengers shift and stare, as if you’re the one.
‘Notes’
by Elaine Marie McKay
She placed the first of them where he would see, then turned from the starkness of its expectation. Later, with taciturn understanding, he wrote on the square of paper in uncomplicated letters. DOOR.
In time, the house was a patchwork of butter-coloured spaces that he filled with the concrete of - FRIDGE, CHAIR, TELEPHONE, SANITARY TOWELS.
For him, scouring the chaos of domesticity, stripping it back to its very foundations so that it could be marked with simplicity, became soothing.
In the evenings, he relaxed, sitting close to her amongst their words, stroking her hair, drinking sweet tea from CUPS.
‘Energy Efficient, Extremely Slim, Easy to Install’
by Ed Broom
Trap 3 rasps like Hitchens in hospital before I twig that he’s pulled the old cough ‘n’ flush and bounding off the blocks so I slam the bolt and make like Bolt and flick my belt to give him the Six Nations and I’m rinsing when he dead-legs me down on the tinned Ambrosia tiles but I weeble up to double pump his eyes with naturally derived lemon mint hand wash and Haystacks him into the unfavoured middle Armitage Shanks leaving yours truly to dress, wash and claim my rightful appointment with the Dyson Airblade VI. It’s a great drier.
NFFD 2016 Competition Longlist
Hello Flash-fans,
Well, we're just one month away from the Day itself, and what better time to announce the longlist of stories selected by our judges from this year's Micro-Fiction competition.
These are the stories which were voted most highly by a consensus of the judges, making them the best stories out of the over 500 entries we received. Congratulations to those listed below, and to those who didn't make it: thank you for taking part and supporting National Flash-Fiction Day. Competition was fierce and we hope you will try again, and possibly take part in the other NFFD activities.
And so, with no further ado, in alphabetical order, here is the longlist:
‘A One-Word Yet Possibly Longer-Than-Necessary Personal Essay Dedicated to My Soon-to-Be Ex-Boyfriend Who Doesn't Believe Me When I Tell Him I Can Write Something This Short That Sums up Everything There Is to Say about Our Relationship, Our Future Together, and His Allegedly Legendary Sexual Organ’ by Ingrid Jendrzejewski
‘Absence’ by Richard Holt
‘Always One’ by Tracy Fells
‘By ear’ by Sharon Telfer
‘Christmas’ by James Watkins
‘Energy Efficient, Extremely Slim, Easy to Install’ by Ed Broom
‘Epidemic’ by Alice Ruth Pickersgill
‘Flounder’ by Joanna Campbell
‘Gone to War’ by Frances Gapper
‘Illumination’ by Judi Walsh
‘Jessie Learns How To Keep A Secret’ by Alison Wassell
‘Notes’ by Elaine Marie McKay
‘Past Caring’ by Freya Morris
‘Play away’ by Linda Grierson
‘Saved for Later’ by Jonathan Pinnock
‘Send Later’ by Adam Trodd
‘Somewhere in between we all must choose. Enough diesel to move frontways or Limp back to Dada. Make the choice. He’s waiting with his fingers curled tight. ’ by Caroline Grebbell
‘Storm’ by Gemma Govier
‘Swing’ by Chris Connolly
‘The Birth of the Baptist’ byFiona J. Mackintosh
‘The Cartographers’ by Jon Stubbington
‘The Father of Octopus Wrestling’ by Frankie McMillan
‘The Jumper’ by Anne Patterson
‘When Words Aren’t Enough’ byLucy Welch
Congratulations again to all who made it through. We're collating the final results now, and hope to announce the winners and runners-up later today.
Happy National Flash-Fiction Day 2015!
It's all happening, on this Day of Flash.
Well, here it finally as. After months of frenetic preparation the day has arrived. This is the 4th National Flash-Fiction Day. The 1st happened in 2012 and featured a book, an online journal, and a host of events. Since then, it;s got bigger and better and more and more people have been involved. Next year will be our 5th, so we need to think of something special to mark the occasion, but for now, here's your run down of what's happening today.
First, as soon as you've read this why not head over to our Facebook page or our Twitter feed to check out the stories coming thick and fast from the FlashFlood journal? There is one every 10 minutes for the whole day, a total of 144 fabulous stories.
And if you're rather write than read, then The Write-In is open once again, for one day only. So get scribbling!
If that's not enough, our new anthology, Landmarks, is now available in paperback from Amazon for a special NFFD price of just £5.99 (usually £7.99). It's also available on Kindle for just 99p.
In addition, you can get the following Kindle books FREE or DISCOUNTED for today!
(Please check the price before purchasing, Amazon's offers system doesn't always play well, and we wouldn't want you to pay when you don't have to!)
NFFD Anthologies:
2014 - Eating My Words
2013 - Scraps
2012 - Jawbreakers
Quick Change by Debbie Young.
Mr & Mrs Flash by Calum & Kath Kerr
28 Far Cries by Marc Nash
Rapture and what comes after by Virginia Moffatt
The Book of Small Changes by Tim Stevenson
31 by Calum Kerr
Apocalypse by Calum Kerr
If that wasn't enough, there are actual real events happening all over the place! There are too many to mention here, so go to our Events Calendar to see what's happening, and maybe pop along to something near you, or take part in one of the online events.
I will be attending the FREE workshop, FREE Foyles reading and (sadly not free) drinks events in Bristol again this year. If you can, why not come along and say 'Hi'. I will be weighed down by copies of Landmarks, so you can always pick up yours there.
I'd like to take this chance to say a quick thank you to the judges from our Competition: Cathy Bryant, Cathy Lennon, Angela Readman, Kevlin Henney, Tim Stevenson and Jon Pinnock; Angi Holden for co-editing the anthology; Amy Mackelden, Tino Prinzi and Tim Stevenson for all their behind-the-scenes work; my co-editors of FlashFlood: Susi, Shirley, Annette, Cassandra, Susan and Caroline. And to everyone else who has pitched in, organised an event, written a story, retweeted a bit of news, or whatever. And special thanks to Kath, my wife, for putting up with all the tantrums it takes me to get this day organised.
You are all stars, fairies, unicorns, or otherwise mythical beasts of your choice.
Thank you!
Whatever you're doing today, I hope you have a wonderful time. National Flash-Fiction is such a celebration of the short short story, and it's all for you.
Thank you.
Calum Kerr
Director
National Flash-Fiction Day