Author Archives: Jude

Pokrass Prize Winners, July 2023

Thank you to everyone who entered the Pokrass Prize, prompt set and stories judged by Meg Pokrass It was exciting to announce the three 2023 winners at the festival. Big congratulations to first prize, James Montgomery, and two runners-up, Anika Carpenter and Patricia Q. Bidar. Their stories are published below, along with Meg’s comments, and they will be included in our sixth festival anthology.

Our big thanks to Meg for providing the prompt and for judging. She asked entrants to write a story that focused on a particular span of time in a character’s life. It could be 10 minutes or 10 years. 300 words max including four of the following words. plain, cosmetic, hear, pin, simple, convict, lunchtime, hair
There was a photo too, which some writers used to inspire them.

Thanks to all the festival particpants who entered. Meg wrote this after reading the selection:

The Flash Fiction Festival is a such a unique gathering that attracts many of the most gifted writers of the flash form, and the strength of these entries was no surprise. Suffice it to say that it was challenging to choose one winner and two Finalists when so many pieces were rich in imagination, originality and charm. Because of its tiny word count and experimental quality, flash fiction offers us the freedom to make each piece our very own— encourages us to be bold, inventors. Finding ones very own way of telling a story that nobody else can tell is crucial to not only grabbing a readers’ attention, but to holding it there. After lingering over these entries for some time, finally the top three emerged. Read in Full

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Festival Raffle 2024

At the in-person flash fiction festival, Friday 12th to Sunday 14th July, 2024 in Bristol, UK, volunteer, Nicola Keller sold raffle tickets for the prizes below. All proceeds an amazing £460 (thanks everyone!) have now been donated to the Dovetail Orchestra, an orchestra of refugees and Asylum seekers based in Bristol. More details and a video about them here.

Here is our list of prizes. All have been sorted out apart from the acupuncture session. We need a local winner for that and will be raffling it again at an event at an evening of readings at St James Wine Vaults, Bristol on Saturday 28th September.

Courses/workshops/mentoring Some very generous prizes here from our flash fiction tutor/teacher friends

  • Jo Gatford
  • Feedback/edits on up to 5 flashes (5000 words max): https://www.jogatford.com/editing worth £125
    A 1.5hr creative coaching session (also includes feedback): https://www.jogatford.com/creative-coaching worth £375

  • Kathy Fish

  • One place on a forthcoming 3-in-90 workshop

  • Debbi Voisey
  • Debbi is donating a full one year membershop and a six month membership on her Time To Write Group. She says:

    Time to Write is a friendly group who get together to offer support and encouragement, and it gives members the time to work on their projects. We do structured sessions as well as pure writing time sessions. Everyone has achieved so much over the time of their membership and it is great to see their achievements and publications. Click the link to findout more about it https://www.tickettailor.com/events/dublinwritercreativewritingservices/1050937

  • Vanessa Gebbie
  • is offering a place on one of her Grist to the Mill sessions (date in the autumn/winter to be arranged with Vanessa. More details about Grist to the Mill here.

  • Sarah Freligh
  • One place on a forthcoming class with Sarah. More details of classes on her website. Winner contacts her

  • Anika Carpenter
  • One place on the Aug, Sep and Oct sessions of Art & Flash. Link with more information here https://www.flashcabin.com/art-flash

  • Alison Powell
  • A 90 minute 1-1 mentoring session

    Alison offers 1-1 mentoring that draws on her experiences as a writer, a workshop leader and an NLP Master Practitioner (have a chat with her for more about that!) She helps people overcome creative blocks, find space for their writing and also offers constructive feedback on their work in progress. Author Jay Giebus describes her as “a reader who sees your story before you do, an editor with an ear for the rhythm of prose.” Each session is bespoke, so you can shape the focus to best support you and your writing.

  • Audrey Niven
  • Two 50% discount vouchers for any coaching programme, to be used by 31 Decebmer 2024
    More details on Audrey”s website

    For locals:Free Acupuncture Appointment With Robert Goodman LicAc, MBAcC

  • Robert says: Acupuncture is an ancient healing art that encourages physical and emotional wellbeing by restoring balance to the body and mind. A branch of traditional medicine, it has been practised in China and the Far East for thousands of years.

    It involves the insertion of hair-thin needles into specific points along meridians in the body. These stimulate your qi or energy, helping you to return to balance and health.

    With this voucher, enjoy a free hour long appointment with Robert Goodman in Bristol. Worth £60.

    07709 237109 www.blueskyacupuncture.co.uk

    #blueskyacupuncturebristol

  • Books in the Raffle

    Thank you to everyone offering a copy of one of their books or book bundles

  • Carrie Etter (one of her collections. Title to be confirmed
  • Jude Higgins- flash fiction collection Clearly Defined Clouds
  • Sally Reiser Simon -debut novel Before We Move On
  • Stephanie Carty, The Writing Mirror (new craft guide book)
  • Tom O’Brien Straw Dogs (novella -in-flash)
  • National Flash Fiction Day anthology bundle. Thank you to NFFD Directors
  • Novella in Flash 2024 book bundles of winner, Hereafter by Sarah Freligh, and the two runners up Nose Ornaments by Sudha Balagopal and Mariiyn’s Ghost by Jo Withers from Ad Hoc Fiction. Donated by Bath Flash Fiction Award.
  • Writing packs and other prizes

  • Two Writers’ Survival Kits donated by Cheryl Markosky. Cheryl says “it will include things like nice notebooks, pens, superior tea, posh biscuits, etc.”
  • Writers’ Soothing Pack donated by Rosaleen Lynch
    – notebooks, pencil case, lavender candle, eyemask and a book token. Some of the items pictured here.
  • A packet of greeting cards designed by writer and artist Jeanette Sheppard. Sample card in the picture.
  • Three free entries to Bath Flash Fiction Award
  • Bottle of whisky donated by Alison Woodhouse
  • Four Bottles of Argentinian wine, donated by Cole Beauchamp (from her vinyard)
  • Bags of three glass pendants made by writer and artist Nod Ghosh, pictured here

    (3 prizes)

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    Flash Fiction Festival Five!

    At last, the anthology of flash fictions from the presenters and participants from the online days and the face-to-face weekend, last July 2022,in Bristol, UK, is back from the printers and free copies are being posted off to contributors this week! The anthology is the fifth one in the rainbow series. Two more colours to go (indigo and violet) until we complete the spectrum and go into the white space of what happens next!

    Flash Fiction Festival Volume Five, published by Ad Hoc Fiction and compiled by 2022 Flash Fiction Festival Director, Jude Higgins and former flash fiction festival director, Diane Simmons, is split into several sections: stories from presenters; stories by competition winners from several of our online days, 2021 and 2022 which were not included in our previous anthologies; winners of the 2022 Pokrass prize and stories by writers who came to the weekend last year, many of them inspired by workshops at the festival. The anthology will be available to buy from the Ad Hoc Fiction bookshop very soon and also from Amazon worldwide in paperback. Read in Full

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    Winners from the Triptych Challenge, Online Festival day, January 2023

    For the New Year, the last of the trio of the online festival days in the series, our festival director, Jude, set two writing challenges. In each of the previous days, writers had been asked to write a story based on a painting. All the paintings are of women. As well as the first writing challenge for this month, based on the woman baking in the kitchen (read the winners here) for this challenge she asked writers to compose a ‘triptych’ story of three paragraphs connecting all three women, in the paintings in some way. For an added challenge and connection between each, she asked writers to keep to five sentence paragraphs and to include the same five words in each paragraph.

    Thanks again to all who entered this very exacting challenge and to Diane Simmons for judging. As in the previous challenge, prizes are entries to Bath Flash Fiction Award, books from Ad Hoc Fiction and publication in print in the Flash Fiction Festival Anthology, Vol 6. Linda Grierson-Irish won the challenge and Sharon Telfer and Debra A Daniel were runners up. Congratulations to all!
    Read in Full

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    Winners Writing Challenge One: January online festival contest

    We had two flash fiction writing contests in the January online flash fiction festival day, both challenges judged by writer and co-director of National Flash Fiction Day, UK, Diane Simmons from visual prompts set by our Festival Director Jude Higgins Thanks very much to everyone who entered. And a further thank you to Diane for judging.

    The first prompt and winning stories are published on this page. And we have another page for the three winning stories from the second challenge to write a triptych.. Congratulations to all!

    For the first challenge, writers were asked to write a story based on this painting ‘Mrs N C Wyeth’ in the kitchen: Winter Light’ Alternate title: ‘The Recipe Book’, painted by N C Wyeth in 1933. Jude suggested writers could add historical details from the time. Adele Evershed won first price and the two runners-up are Jane Salmons and Laurie Swinarton. All writers win three competition entries from Bath Flash Fiction Award, books from Ad Hoc Fiction and the offer of publication in the Flash Fiction Festival Anthology, Vol 6.
    Read in Full

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    Winners! Nov 2022 Great Festival Flash Off Writing Challenge

    At the online Great Festival Flash Off online day, Jude gave a prompt based on this picture,’Reading in a Cafe’, painted in 1920, by American artist Jane Petersen, 1876-1965, an American Impressionist and Expressionist artist. Thanks to everyone who entered stories and many congratulations to the three winners. First prize, Sudha Balagopal and two runners-up Sara Hills and Cheryl Markosky. Thanks also to Diane Simmons our judge for the trio of festival days. Her comments and the stories and authors’ bios are posted below. The winner receives two books published by Ad Hoc Fiction, three free entries to Bath Flash Fiction Award, to be used at any time, and publication in paperback in a Flash Fiction Festival anthology. The runners up receive one book and both other prizes. There are two contests on our Saturday January 7th Great Festival New Year Flash Off. You can book here. Hope to see you there for more festival fun. Read in Full

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    Winners, Oct 8th Great Festival Flash Off Writing Challenge

    We’re channelling The Great British Bake Off TV show again in our trio of online days. On the first day, Jude offered a ‘signature’ writing prompt based on this painting,’The Green Cloth’, from 1976, by Norwegian artist. Roald Kyllingstad. Writers were asked to pick details from the painting and think of ‘what if’ scenarios including some of these details and write a piece of up to 350 words. There were some very inventive takes on this.

    Thank you to everyone who entered and we’re now delighted to announce the winners. The first prize winner receives three free entries to bathflashfictionaward.com plus two Ad Hoc Fiction books and publication here and in our forthcoming festival anthology. The runners up also receive three free entries and one book from Ad Hoc Fiction plus publication.
    Diane Simmons judged the competition and first prize goes to Anika Carpenter and the two runners up to S. A. Greene and Kathryn Aldridge=Morris. Congratulations to all! Read in Full

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    Flash Fiction Festival 2022, Photo Gallery and Thankyou

    Thankyou to everyone who came to the 2022 Flash Fiction Festival, 8th-10th July, 2022 – writers who travelled from many different countries, our festival team, all our volunteers who helped things run smoothly during the weekend, at reception, in the bar, dining room and the bookshop and those who presented workshops, some of them stepping in to do an extra one when others had to cancel due to Covid. It was brilliant to meet and re-emeet flash fiction writers who’d been coming to the online days as well as those who came to our last festival in 2019 and writers who hadn’t been before.

    There were so many wonderful,inspiring workshops and we hope those who came will send in a story, either prompted by them or the geneeral ambience, for the fifth Flash Fiction Festival Anthology, to be published by the end of this year by one of our sponsors, Ad Hoc Fiction. So much fun! We already have a date for next year 14th – 16th July, 2023 in the same venue, Trinity College, in Bristol.. Email jude (at) flashfictionfestival (dot) com i if you want to be kept informed when booking is open.

    Another thank you to writer and teacher and festival curator Meg Pokrass who set and judged the Pokrass Prize Festival micro contest. The winner was Jane Salmons and Runners up, Sharon Telfer and Tracy Fells. We’re looking forward to see their stories (posted on this site now Meg’s comments ) in the anthology.

    A final thank you to everyone who bought raffle tickets and those who donated great prizes. We raised £358 for Bristol Refugee Rights!

    Check out the lovely gallery of photos from the festival which are loosely grouped into different categories. Lots of books, lots of karaoke, random groups of happy looking people. Jude gathered them up from the festival Twitter feed and from other people who sent some in. A particular thanks to Jet Rotmans who sent a lovely selelction. If you have others to add, let us know.

    Hope to see you Face to Face at the 2023 Flash Fiction Festival next year. In the meantime, we have three online festival days coming for the Autumn and Winter. More details and booking open soon.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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    The Pokrass Prize Results

    Our Flash Fiction Festival Curator, Meg Pokrass wasn’t able to be involved in the Festival this year, but she set a prompt and judged the entries for the Pokrass Prize.Thanks to all the festival go-ers who participated. Writers were asked to respond to the picture here and to the random words – night, exposure, spots, star, golden, normal, heavy and write a micro, max 150 words. There were so many very inventive pieces. The winning pieces published here, will also be published in our fifth festival anthology, out by the end of this year.

    Meg said this about the stories and the winners:

    “It was fun diving in and mulling over these incredible entries. Judging a contest at this high level of writing is very hard and at the same time, exhilarating. It is a thrill to see how much good writing is going on with the Flash Fiction Festival writers. I am sad not to be with you this year, but through reading these wonderful stories, I once again feel deeply connected to the writers at FFF. There were many strong and original micros that it did feel impossible to choose only three. And yet, three had to be chosen… So here you go!

    The winning story, “Miracle Grow”, is a dark and surreal story about a damaged marriage fast-growing like damaging weeds under the floorboards. This writer’s use of compression and stunning sensory details won me over and I couldn’t look away. “The Horses, Beneath” is a poetic piece filled with brilliant, startling imagery and the resulting effect is mythical. Past and present merge, and the reader is thrust into a strange, illuminating yet invisible universe that lives beneath or feet. “Our Own Personal Universe” is a story that brought the prompt to life for me in a deeply emotional and cinematic way. A happy love story that shines like a star in the darkest of nights.”

    Winner Jane Salmons with ‘Miracle Grow’

    Jane Salmons is from Stourbridge in the West Midlands. She was a teacher in the sixth form college sector for nearly three decades and now works part time as a consultant teacher trainer and private tutor. Her poetry pamphlet Enter GHOST was published with dancing girl press in 2022. Her debut poetry collection The Quiet Spy was also published in 2022 with Pindrop Press. New to writing flash and micro-fiction, Jane has had stories published with MacQueen’s Quarterly and The Ekphrastic Review. She is thrilled and astounded to have won The Pokrass Prize.


    Miracle Grow

    Splinter, crack, crash! Without waking his snoring, lump of a wife, Bob grabbed his dressing gown and hurried out into the night. The sickly scent of summer phlox hung in the air; beneath the moon, the lawn glowed white; the rhododendrons stared accusingly, as Bob scuttled down the path, towards his beloved greenhouse. Smash! Another pane shattered. Through the jagged roof, a mass of unruly stalks wound upwards into the starry sky. ‘What in the name of God is going on?’ gasped Bob, sliding back the door and finding hundreds of thick, green shoots pushing through the slabs. Slack-jawed, he saw leaves the size of spades, a shower of giant golden flowers, furiously unfurl. Tomatoes like melons swelled and ripened: green, orange, vermilion, black – a mouldy mess of splitting skins and monstrous oozing seeds. Through a chink in the bedroom curtain, Bob’s wife watched, smiling.

    Runner Up, Sharon Telfer with ‘The Horses, Beneath’.

    Sharon Telfer lives in East Yorkshire, in the north of England. She won the Bath Flash Fiction Award in June 2016 with ‘Terra Incognita’ and again in February 2020 with ‘Eight Spare Bullets’. She has also won the Reflex Flash Fiction Prize. Her flash has been selected for Best Small Fictions 2021, the 2020 and 2019 ‘BIFFY50’ lists, and Best Microfiction 2019. She was awarded the Word Factory/New Writing North Short Story Apprenticeship in 2018, and placed second in the Bath Short Story Award 2020. She also has a short story in Test Signal, an anthology of contemporary northern writing (Bloomsbury/Dead Ink, 2021). Her debut flash fiction collection, The Map Waits, was published by Reflex Press in 2021 and is currently longlisted for The 2022 Edge Hill Prize for short fiction. She tweets @sharontelfer and posts terrible photos on Instagram, @sharontelferwriter.

    The Horses, Beneath

    She hears them clearest when the house is still – kids at school, husband at work, laptop open waiting for the host to let her in.

    She’d watched last year’s dig on TV, family jumbled on the plumped sofa, the paint tang lingering. The whole estate had. The white tent like a murder scene. The camera nosing in as gloves brushed earth from wheels and weapons and bones.
    “That’s not under our house, is it, Mummy?”
    “Course not, sweetie. Ours wasn’t built there.”
    A whinny ripples her wineglass, the pristine laminate prances under her feet. The next street is Shield Avenue, leading to Warrior Close. Their home, an Executive, stands on Chariot Way.

    When they come, as she knows they must – hooves trampling smooth tarmac – she’s in the off-plan kitchen – letterbox clashing – blinds raised to the moonlight and the hazy Pleiades – that ancient insistent pounding hammering at the shining front door.

    Runner Up, Tracy Fells with ‘Our Own Personal Universe’
    Tracy Fells was the 2017 Regional Winner (Europe and Canada) for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Her short fiction has been widely published in print journals and online, including: Granta, Brittle Star, Reflex Fiction, Popshot, Firewords and the Bath Flash Fiction Award anthologies (2019 & 2020). She has been shortlisted for the Bridport and Fish Flash Fiction prizes, placed in the Reflex Fiction competition and Highly Commended in the NFFD Micro competition (2016 & 2020). Her novella-in-flash, Hairy on the Inside was short listed in the 2021 Bath Novella in Flash Award and short listed for the 2022 Rubery Prize, in the fiction category. She also writes novels and was a finalist in the 2018 Richard & Judy ‘Search for a Bestseller’ competition. Tracy tweets as @theliterarypig.

    Our Own Personal Universe

    We met at Woodstock, then married late fall. As we grew up, the world regressed. It was Suzy’s idea to escape off-grid to our cabin in the woods. Technology free. What else did we need but each other?

    Without electricity our life is simple, almost silent except for the persistent background song. We tear up rugs, listen to the creaking wooden walls, and finally dig under the porch. There we find a tin box, the source of the singing.

    Suzy whispers, ‘Open it.’

    Inside is the same tar-black night that surrounds us, where deep within we spy the beeswax candle of our cabin window, a beacon. On the count of three we plunge in our hands.

    Above us in the star-encrusted sky appear two giant wrinkled hands. Wiggling our fingers like magicians conjures a cooling breeze. ‘We are gods,’ says my wife of over fifty years, my forever singing girl.

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    Winner, Young Writers’ Flash Fiction Contest

    As an addition to our March online flash fiction day, Susmita Bhattacharya, who was a judge for the adult contest, and is a facilitator for the Mayflower Young Writers Group in Southampton, hosted a parallel flace-to-face flash fiction workshop for young writers. The young people also had their own writing competition. Flash Fiction team member, Alison Woodhouse, dropped in to their session to talk more about flash and to set a prompt. She asked writers to use an object as the focal point of a piece of flash to tell a story.

    Thank you to all who entered. Alison has now chosen the winner! Huge congratulations to Katie Britton, a member of MayFlower Young Writers, @MayflowerYW who used a mirror as her focal point. Katie’s story is based on an actual mirror in her house, and we love that she has sent us her picture posed in front of it. Katie wins a special mug with the flash fiction logo, which has ‘Winner’ and her name written on the back. Read in Full

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