One of our flash fiction festival founders, acclaimed writer and teacher,Meg Pokrass has again set a writing challenge for all festival participants and will judge the winners. Another one of her trade-mark “Pokrass Prompts”. Read the winners from the 2023 Pokrass prize.The stories are now also published in Flash Fiction festival, Vol 6.

Everyone who has booked for the in-person flash fiction festival 12-14th July, gains a free entry to the contest. The challenge is to write a up to 400 word micro inspired by the picture and Meg’s instructions below.

All entries to be sent as a Word docx file if possible, with the title of the flash as the subject line of the email and no identifying marks on the piece, to story (at) flasfictionfestival (dot) com by midsummer’s day, 21st June, midnight BST

Results will be announced announced during the festival weekend.

Prizes are £50 for the first prize winner, plus two Ad Hoc Fiction published books, three entries to Bath Flash Fiction Award, publication on this website and also in Flash Fiction Festival Vol 7, out at the end of this year.
Two runners up receive a book, 3 BFFA entries and publication.

Here’s the prompt:

Write a story about a family who may have lived in this house (photograph by Louella Lester) at one time (or still lives there now). See if you can include shades in the story of light and dark. Try to use one or more of the following prompt words:
glasses, greyish, trick, lamplight, dank, firefly