Introducing our New Volunteer Social Media Co-ordinator

We'd like to welcome to the National Flash Fiction Day team our newest member, Claire Thomson, who will be our Volunteer Social Media Co-ordinator!

Claire is currently an Editorial Assistant at Vintage Books. Before this, she worked in a press office and for a feminist literary magazine. From Scotland, she studied English Literature at the University of Glasgow and now lives in North London.

Wanted: Volunteer Social Media Co-ordinator

Volunteer Social Media Co-ordinator

National Flash Fiction Day (NFFD) is seeking a Volunteer Social Media Co-ordinator. The main purpose of the role is to manage NFFD’s social media channels (Facebook and Twitter) by sharing news, promoting submissions opportunities, events and our anthologies, and showcasing flash fiction that we’ve published for our followers to enjoy!

The role entails:

• Managing and scheduling content across NFFD’s Facebook and Twitter pages, and checking in throughout the week.
• Sharing news and updates about NFFD submission opportunities, sharing NFFD events, and promoting NFFD anthologies.
• Sharing stories “from the archives” of NFFD, especially from our FlashFlood journal.
• Seeking opportunities to help our audience grow, as well as help our audience engage with more flash fiction and NFFD
• Promoting great stories or opportunities from other flash fiction publications that our followers may enjoy.

The role is perfect for someone who loves championing flash fiction.

For further information or to express an interest, please email nationalflashfictionday@gmail.com with Volunteer Social Media Co-ordinator as your subject.

Closing date 31st October 2018

The Future of National Flash Fiction Day

On Saturday 16th June this year, National Flash Fiction Day celebrated its seventh year! NFFD was founded in 2012 by Calum Kerr, and since then we have published hundreds of flash fictions by hundreds of different authors across anthologies, FlashFlood, and other flashy projects! We’ve had numerous readings, launches, workshops, and other events around the country to celebrate flash fiction. This was all thanks to Calum, who decided that this year would be his last NFFD.

There are many ways to say thank you. When Calum stepped down, the future of NFFD was uncertain, but we believed that the best way to say thank you was to keep NFFD going. Flash fiction has truly blossomed across the U.K. and the world, and it wouldn’t feel right if NFFD disappeared.

It is truly exciting to be able to announce that two astounding flash fiction authors will be working alongside me to not only continue NFFD but to raise it to new heights.

Please allow me to formally introduce and welcome Ingrid Jendrzejewski and Diane Simmons as fellow Co-Directors of National Flash Fiction Day!

Ingrid Jendrzejewski studied creative writing and English literature at the University of Evansville, then physics at the University of Cambridge. Her work has been published in places like Passages North, The Los Angeles Review, Jellyfish Review, Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine and The Conium Review, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Vestal Review’s VERA Award, and multiple times for Best Small Fictions. Her short-form work has won fifteen writing competitions including the Bath Flash Fiction Award and AROHO’s Orlando Prize. She serves as editor-in-chief of FlashBack Fiction and a flash editor at JMWW.  Links to Ingrid’s work can be found at www.ingridj.com and she tweets @LunchOnTuesday.

Diane Simmons studied creative writing with the Open University. Her fiction has featured in a variety of anthologies and publications including Mslexia, New Flash Fiction Review, FlashBack Fiction, Flash I Love You (Paper Swans), To Carry Her Home (BFFA), The Lobsters Run Free (BFFA), Micro Madness, and six National Flash Fiction Day anthologies. She has been placed in numerous competitions such as NFFD micro, Writers’ Forum, Woman and Home, Ink Tears, Worcs Lit Fest, ITV’s This Morning/She, 99 Fiction and The Frome Festival and has been short or longlisted in competitions such as The Fish, Exeter Flash and the Bath Flash Fiction Award. Her recently completed novella-in-flash was long listed in the 2018 Bath Novella-in-Flash competition. Diane is part of the organising team for the UK Flash Fiction Festival, has been an editor for FlashFlood and for the last three years has been a reader for the Bath Short Story Award. Her debut flash collection Finding a Way will be published by Ad Hoc Fiction in early 2019.

Ingrid and Diane have already brought lots of new ideas, enthusiasm, and energy to NFFD, and this brings us on to National Flash Fiction Day 2019.

National Flash Fiction Day 2019 SAVE THE DATE! National Flash Fiction Day next year will be on Saturday 15th June 2019! We’re already planning and exploring lots of options for next year’s National Flash Fiction Day, and if you’d like to plan an event or volunteer in any way don’t hesitate to get in touch!

That said, this year’s fantastic anthology is still available to purchase in paperback and on Kindle. This seventh annual instalment of the National Flash-Fiction Day (UK) anthology is overflowing with food-themed flashes. Satiate your hunger for fiction with these delicious stories by new and established flash fiction writers. The authors have cooked up a smorgasbord of entertaining, moving and tantalising flashes for your reading delight. From fudge to oysters, apples to mangoes, gingerbread to (of course!) cake, there’s something in this anthology for everyone to sink their teeth into. Authors include: Tara Laskowski, Christopher Allen, Nancy Stohlman, Frankie McMillan, Meg Pokrass, Nuala O’Connor, Robert Scotellaro, Alison Powell, Kevlin Henney, Jude Higgins, Tim Stevenson, Angela Readman, Megan Giddings, Joanna Campbell, Diane Simmons, Ingrid Jendrzejewski, Calum Kerr, and Santino Prinzi. The editors are Santino Prinzi and Alison Powell.

That's all for now, so we're going to leave you with a flash fiction from this year's FlashFlood! Here's a beautifully rhythmic flash called 'Breathe' by Kellie Carle: http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.com/2018/06/breathe-by-kellie-carle.html

Thanks for reading! Santino Prinzi Co-Director of National Flash Fiction Day

Happy National Flash-Fiction Day 2018

Yes, it's here again. And this is a short bulletin just to bring you up to date on all that is happening today. We have, of course, the FlashFlood which starts at midnight and runs all the way through the day. A story will be published every 10 minutes on the blog, with a few extras across the middle of the day, bringing you a total of 148 wonderful, new flashes for you to enjoy. Over the 7 years of NFFD this journal has had nearly 420,000 views, and we would love to be able to get even closer to the magical half million mark, so please do share the stories across your media and bring the joy to the world.   We also have a number of events going on around the country, including the launch of the novella-in-flash Three Sisters of Stone by Stephanie Hutton in Hanley, Stoke. This is preceded by a workshop and more information is here.  There will also be a workshop and reading in Gloucester, Our friends over at TSS Publishing (theshortstory.co.uk) are today launching a project to catalogue and celebrate the best in British and Irish Flash-Fiction over the next year. More information about this is on their Facebook Page. And if you are in the Bristol area, there is so much to enjoy: a Flash-walk, two workshops, a panel on competitions,and the launch of the new anthology. All the details for that are on the Bristol Flash Facebook page.  Speaking of the anthology, Ripening, it is now available to buy in both paper and Kindle formats. And although we're biased, we really think you need a copy or two in your life.

And, as ever, there will be people publishing flashes, sharing their work, and generally enjoying the day all around the country and across the internet. One of them could be you, so why not celebrate the day by joining in by writing, sharing, or reading.  National Flash-Fiction Day has become a staple in the calendar and the wonderful things that happen on the day are a testament to the enthusiasm of all the great writers and readers who make up the community. We're grateful for you all. Enjoy the day, and keep flashing! Calum Kerr Co-Director National Flash-Fiction Day [Oh, and one last thing. This year we have had to start using a new service to feed the FlashFlood to our Facebook and Twitter pages. It's untested and we have no idea if it will work. So, if it should fail, please do visit https://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.com/ - every 10 minutes if you're particularly dedicated - and share the links to the stories on your social media so we can ensure everyone gets their work seen by the world. Thank you! ] Copyright © 2018 National Flash-Fiction Day, All rights reserved.

National Flash-Fiction Day 2018 is nearly here.

In case you don't know, this year National Flash-Fiction Day will be on 16th June. And, as ever, we have a range of things going on.

The main launch for the day will once again be in Bristol, where there will be a Flash Walk, two workshops (one by Alison Powell and one by me, Calum Kerr) as well as the traditional reading event in the evening - to launch the new anthology Ripenings (right - available soon) -  and the even more traditional visit to the pub afterwards. And there will also be a very interesting panel discussion on what competition judges are looking out for. So that's one not to miss. More details of all these are on the website.

Other events include a Flash-Fiction Workshop and Reading in Gloucester, a panel on entering writing competitions and submitting to lit magazines.in Stoke, and the launch of Stephanie Hutton's first novella-in-flash Three Sisters of Stone. Details are also on the website. And, as ever. If you have an event we haven't listed, do let us know at nationalflashfictionday@gmail.com.

As usual for NFFD, our journal FlashFlood will be opening it's gates for submissions. The blog journal provides a deluge of flash for the Day, and has now received over 409,000 views. Submissions open at midnight tonight, and then stay open for just 7 days. All the stories will appear on the 16th, available via the blog, or our Facebook and Twitter feeds. Stay tuned to http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.com/ to find out more.

And finally, on a more personal note, I have to announce that this will be my last National Flash-Fiction Day. I originally set the day up way back in 2012 and could never have imagined how it - and flash-fiction in the UK - would have blossomed. There are now many amazing flash things happening and I am so proud of the part that NFFD has played in it all. I have been helped across the years by many, many wonderful people - Tim Stevenson, Amy Mackelden, Kevlin Henney, the editors of FlashFlood, and too many others to mention. In the last few years, particularly, Santino Prinzi, has taken over much of the heavy lifting associated with NFFD and deserves all the medals. For me, though, it's time for me to move on and see what's next. The future of NFFD is currently undecided but we'll let you know as soon as we know what it is.

So, that's it for now. Be sure to check out the website, the blogs, the social media, and have a great day on the 16th. Here's to another wonderful National Flash-Fiction Day. Yours Calum Kerr Co-Director of National Flash-Fiction Day

Ripening: National Flash Fiction Day Anthology 2018 -- Cover Reveal!

We are thrilled to reveal the cover for Ripening: National Flash-Fiction Day Anthology 2018. 

This seventh annual instalment of the National Flash-Fiction Day (UK) anthology is overflowing with food-themed flashes. Satiate your hunger for fiction with these delicious stories by new and established flash fiction writers. The authors have cooked up a smorgasbord of entertaining, moving and tantalising flashes for your reading delight. From fudge to oysters, apples to mangoes, gingerbread to (of course!) cake, there’s something in this anthology for everyone to sink their teeth into.

Authors include: Tara Laskowski, Christopher Allen, Nancy Stohlman, Frankie McMillan, Meg Pokrass, Nuala O’Connor, Robert Scotellaro, Alison Powell, Kevlin Henney, Jude Higgins, Tim Stevenson, Angela Readman, Megan Giddings, Joanna Campbell, Diane Simmons, and NFFD co-directors, Calum Kerr and Santino Prinzi.

The editors are Santino Prinzi and Alison Powell.

Introducing the National Flash Fiction Anthology 2018

We're absolutely thrilled to be able to share the title of this year's National Flash Fiction Day anthology, along with our full line-up!

This year's title is borrowed from a stunning and moving flash fiction by Alicia Bakewell. 

The cover will be revealed in the near future, and below you can read the full line-up of authors who'll feature in this year's anthology! We can't wait to share all of these stories with you!


Ripening: National Flash Fiction Day Anthology 2018

Alison Powell	Have Your Cake
Joanna Campbell	Gingerbread
Abi Hynes	How to Eat a Grape
Helen Rye	Me ‘N’ Claudz Of A Friday Night Down The Chippy And The Oasis Bar
Kymm Coveny	Popcorn
Anna Rymer	Eight Weeks Old
Tim Stevenson	Not for the Body
Sharon Telfer	Caramel Baby
Damhnait Monaghan	Habits
Nan Wigington	Famous Last Meals
Leonora Desar	The Hot Fudge Lady
Deborah Meltvedt	Farmer's Market
Sara Chansarkar	Mango Pulp
E. P. Chiew	For the Love of a Bagel
Emily Devane	The Apple Seekers
Kevlin Henney	No Carbonara
Olga Wojtas	Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Emma Harding	Say It with a Cake
Sarah Evans	The Word Eater
Sylvia Petter	Oysters
H Anthony Hildebrand	Ewei
Megan Giddings	Milk and Eggs
FJ Morris	The Root of It
A. E. Weisgerber	Knoxville
Sophie van Llewyn	Hi, Dad, How've You Been?
Philip Charter	The Change
Claire Polders	A Tasting of European Chefs
Jude Higgins	The Ways of the Flesh
Nancy Stohlman	The Pilgrimage
Christopher M Drew	A Turn of the Tide
Erica Plouffe Lazure	The Italic
Alicia Bakewell	Ripening
Judy Darley	Cornish Gold
Laura Pearson	Not Love, Not Carbohydrates
Gay Degani	Troy Mills
Calum Kerr	Cooking on Gas
Anne Summerfield	Only Now Can I Think of All The Things I Should Have Said
Sal Page	A Fifteen Stone Woman, with a Six Stone Daughter Who Will Not Eat, Writes Shopping Lists
Rachael Dunlop	Border Line
J. E. Kennedy	An Offering
Angela Readman	Attack of the Robot Grannies
TM Upchurch	Plum Skin
Nuala O'Connor	Sponge
Diane Simmons	A Picnic in the Park
Stephanie Hutton	Nourishment
Robert Scotellaro	The Polygamist's Three Wives
Ros Woolner	Make a Wish
Gemma Govier	Bass Drums and Trumpets for Tea
Ingrid Jendrzejewski	On the Wabash
Frankie McMillan	The Happy Eggs from Podomosky
Meg Pokrass	Culinary
Nadia Stone	Yaya's Pips
David Cook	The Shock Of The New Breakfasts
Jacqueline Saville	It's Not Her
Jan Kaneen	Sour
Santino Prinzi	Nonni
Charlotte Wührer	Shipwreck Feast
KM Elkes	Late Blackberries
Poppy O'Neill	The Creator is Disturbed at Her Vanity by the Cries of Mankind
Christopher Allen	Samuel is Mango
Ioanna Mavrou	Weekends in Waianae
Jennifer Harvey	Thirteen
Tara Laskowski	Goodnight Mush
Micro Competition Winners
Fiona J. Mackintosh	The Birth of the Baptist
Charmaine Wilkerson	Pull
Rachael Dunlop	A Nice Bit of Linoleum
Lisa Ferranti	Fifth Grade
Amanda O'Callaghan	Death of a Friend
Catherine Edmunds	Forgetting, Remembering
Rebecca Field	Things I Never Saw Again After You Dumped Me By Text Message
Alan Beard	1990
Elaine Dillon	Louise
Anita Goveas	White Lies