The winners of the 2024 Flash Fiction Competition are as follows:
1st prize - 'Tim' by Terry Kerins
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I’d always longed for a sibling and then at the age of fifty-two, I became a sister.
Mum and Dad never said a word about him. I find out about Tim in their will. He will be provided for until he dies.
The carer in the residential unit says: ‘Severely brain-damaged; he doesn’t interact’.
The sign on his door reads: Tim. Allergic to strawberries. Medication whole, in yogurt. Strawberry allergy: like me.
I open the door. Tim stares at the wall. He has my father’s grey eyes, like the sea in winter.
I tip his arm, ‘Hello brother’.
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2nd prize - 'Hedgerow Memory' by Becky Willis
Flashes of yellow stopped me. Joan passed, shaking her lowered head at the sparse winter hedge and cursing the council for not insisting on a thicker shield between her home and the ring road traffic.
But I'm blessing whoever thought to plant rowans at all, whose berries have drawn an irruption of beauties. And I'm seven again, clutching at my Dad's swinging binoculars' case to keep up with his quick strides along the icy Norfolk lane. He's reading excitedly from his bird book, 'pinky buff; red on wings, as if dipped in wax; tail, yellow-tipped... Waxwings!'
‘Welcome, waxwings!'
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3rd prize - 'Dressed by Success' by Matthew Shepherd
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Stubbled chin, cap tipped to block out oppressive sunlight, chewing gum. Stomach pressed against a lavishly overpriced cotton t-shirt flaunting an embroidered logo screaming ‘I can afford what you cannot’. Such small things matter to Jamal. So soft are the soles of the brand new trainers he barely senses the pavement.
Their comfort unsettles Jamal’s memory. It is barely ten months since he laced a pair of real shoes for the first time. How quickly life turned in an alien land. A tear wells as he laments where he has come from and who he left behind.
Southam Book Festival's 2024 Flash Fiction Competition is now closed.
Thank-you everyone who entered.
We have no tips on who might win- anyone tipping on the winner might have tipped wrong, so let's wait and see .
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Short-listed stories for 2024 Flash Fiction Competition:
- in no particular order
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Tim by Terry Kerins
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Love by Terry Kerins
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Dressed by Success by Matthew Shepherd
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Wembley 3024 by Christof Meckel
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Windsor Park by Mike Moss
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Hungry in Italy by Janet Crouch
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Golden Joinery by Chris Cottom
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Hedgerow Memory by Becky Willis
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Limitless by Caroline McKenzie
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Grandpa's Last Yee-Yaw by Lorna Stewart
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​​Congratulations to all shortlisted writers - well done.
​You've written some cracking stories.
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Thanks to everyone who entered from the
​UK, USA, RSA, NZ, Australia, Canada and Kenya.
​Don't be too disappointed if you aren't on the judges shortlist.
​There were many excellent entries.
Keep on writing.​​​​​​
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The winning entries will be announced at the Southam Book Festival at 15:30 and published here shortly after.
Good luck everyone.
Southam Book Festival
Flash Fiction Competition 2024
IS NOW OPEN!
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1st prize £60
2nd prize £30
3rd prize £20
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All entries must be received by noon on Sunday, September 8th 2024
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RULES, CONDITIONS & HOW TO ENTER
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The competition is open to anyone who is 16 years and over.
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The competition is for an original work of fiction no longer than 100 words in length.
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Each story must have a title and the title must be included in the word count. Hyphenated words count as one word.
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The work must contain at least one of the following words :- ‘tip' ‘tipping’ ‘tipped’ .
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The word, 'tip’, and words relating to it ( eg 'tipping', 'tips’ ‘tipped' etc ), must not be used as the title of your story.
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The work must be previously unpublished and not be simultaneously entered into any other competition. It must be the work of the person entering the competition.
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The closing date is Sunday September 8th 2024 at 12 noon.
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The entry fee is £3 per story. Competitors may enter as many stories as they wish. Up to five stories may be entered for £10.
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Entries must be made electronically.
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The judges' decision is final. Judges will not enter into any discussion.
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The names of short-listed competition entrants will be published on the Southam Book Festival web site on Sunday October 6 th 2024
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The names of winner and runners up will be published on the Southam Book Festival web site on October 13th 2024 and listed on the Festival social media page. Winner and runners up will be contacted individually.
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If possible, the winning entry will be published in the Southam Advertiser.
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Submission of work will be taken as acceptance of rules and conditions.
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Copyright of each story remains with the author, but Southam Book Festival reserves the right to publish a selection of the stories at some point during or after the Book Festival.
HOW TO ENTER
All entries must be made via Email.
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Choose the £3 or £10 PayPal button below
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Next email your story or stories to southambookfest@gmail.com.
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Please put FF and your name in the subject box eg FFPennySmith
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For further emails simply add B, or C etc eg FFPennySmithB
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On the email sheet please give details of your name, address, email address, the name of your story/stories and your PayPal transaction number.
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​Your story, with its title, should be included as an attachment. If you are submitting more than one story, please use a separate attachment for each story. Please check the title in the attachment matches the title in the email.
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To pay for one entry please click here - £3
(This will redirect you to the PayPal website)
To pay for up to five entries please click here - £10
(This will redirect you to the PayPal website)
Follow the link below to the Reedsy blog to find more writing competitions
