Our Flash Fiction Festival Curator, acclaimed writer and teacher, Meg Pokrass was unable to come to the festival again in July, this year, but we’re delighted she offered a writing challenge for all festival participants, another one of her trade-mark “Pokrass Prompts”. Read the winners from the 2023 Pokrass prize, now announced

Everyone who booked for the in-person flash fiction festival in July, gained a free entry to the contest. The challenge was to write a up to 300 word micro inspired by the prompt.

Results were announced, 15th July, at the festival.

The first prize winner, James Montgomery from the UK, won £50, two books and three free entries to Bath Flash Fiction Award and his story will also be published in the sixth Flash Fiction Festival anthology to be published by the end of the year.

Two Runners-Up Anika Carpenter from the Uk and Patricia Q Bidar from the US> received two books and three free entries to Bath Flash Fiction Award and publication in the fifth Flash Fiction Festival Anthology.

Here’s the Pokrass Prompt:

Write a story that focuses on a particular span of time in a character’s life. It can be 10 minutes or 10 years. See if you can do this in under 300 words:
You should include at least four of the following words in your story.
plain, cosmetic, hear, pin, simple, convict, lunchtime, hair

(photo by Louella Lester)