We are thrilled to share our nominations for @pushcartprize.bsky.social @francesgapper.bsky.social @adlibby.bsky.social @quickasaflash.bsky.social @stephaniecarty.bsky.social @maireadwrites.bsky.social @emilyrinkema.bsky.social Good Luck you fabulous Trash Family 💜

My story "Brief Lives of Garden Insects" was published this month by Flash the Court - thank you to Court Harler and to @megpokrass.bsky.social for her wonderful workshops! flashthecourt.com/2025/09/12/b...

Many thanks to @lumchanmfa.bsky.social for her kind comments on my story - and the exclamation marks!! expositionreview.com/flash-405/wh...

It's witty, it's clever, AND it features Scarborough. What more do you want?

Our June contest “Illumination” was a bright spot for Flash 405, with @lumchanmfa.bsky.social as our guest judge. Congratulations to our winners: @pintsncupcakes.bsky.social, Meg Taylor, @francesgapper.bsky.social, Alice Hatcher, Liana Meffert! Read their flash here: tinyurl.com/Illumination405.

"People say we live in an unequal society; some are born well-lit, others are living like moles." Fabulous work from @jupiterjonz.bsky.social

"Act 1. Anton Chekhov beak-raps the glass roof of Dad’s passion project / our house and shits on it. “We should never have adopted that seagull,” says Helena, my stepmother. Was there ever a more intriguing opening?? Fizzing with wonderful, is this. Congratulations @francesgapper.bsky.social

superb characterisation *cough*

The Seagull has Landed. trashcatlit.com/into-stones-...

I'm a repeat bin offender!

HERE THEY ARE! 25 contributors to the upcoming Prompted Stories issue. Split into new and existing Trash Family for your consumption. The issue will launch on Thursday 🦝 @leighaplin.bsky.social @madeleinewrite.bsky.social @lucimcummings.bsky.social @sclly21.bsky.social @adlibby.bsky.social 1/3

Delighted to have a micro included in Fictive Dream's MicroMonday #21! Written in a recent @smokelong.bsky.social Summer workshop.

Join us in congratulating our Best of the Net nominees! @mooninabucket.bsky.social, @tlsherwood.bsky.social, @francesgapper.bsky.social, and @christytending.bsky.social 🥳 #namjooning #namjooningbutliterary

Thank you so much ‪@lit-namjooning.bsky.social‬ for nominating my CNF piece "Is That All There Is?" for a 2026 Best of the Net award. What a wonderful surprise!

This is a wonderful story.

“How my body keeps trying to eject me the way birds don’t trust humans no doubt for good reason” A gorgeous piece with a last line that resonates with its startling perfection by @francesgapper.bsky.social in #nffd2025

@francesgapper.bsky.social writes the most beautiful #namjooning pieces! If you need inspiration for our submission call, here's her piece in @natflashfictionday.bsky.social. Do read, it's a beauty. flashfloodjournal.blogspot.com/2025/06/star...

Wonderfully chaotic piece by @francesgapper.bsky.social #nffd2025

"Our babies see every withered promise, every muddy heart." Oof!

"how starlings have starry plumage and rainbowy neck feathers and how I once had pretty hair and how if I open my window the starlings take fright" gorgeous, heartbreaking @francesgapper.bsky.social

"Can you give helpful and encouraging feedback? Are you able to remain calm and polite? Do you need some friendly warmth and support?" Frances Gapper, long-listee for the SmokeLong Workshop Prize 2024, on peer-review workshopping. www.smokelong.com/an-interview...

My birdy micro will be flashing by in Flash Flood at 3:10 a.m. (BST) on 14 June 2025. Thank you @natflashfictionday.bsky.social - and thank you @smokelong.bsky.social for this year's March Micro Marathon!

gated woods the silence between us grows into winter AFTER 25+ years submitting to THN, my #haiku won The Heron’s Nest Award. 🙏Julie Schwerin #editor www.theheronsnest.com/March2025/ed...

Delighted to have a story on this list!

Congratulations to Paul and thank you Winged Moon for publishing my tiny poem!

Thank you to Keith J. Powell, managing editor of Your Impossible Voice, for publishing this micro, written last year in a @smokelong.bsky.social workshop.

Thank you for including Saturday Girl by Frances Gapper in your wonderful lineup, Hugh. It's greatly appreciated @turnandwork.com @francesgapper.bsky.social #fiction #CNF

Stunningly good writing as usual from @aniking.bsky.social !!!

On a gloomy Saturday in Flash Fiction February, here's my story Saturday Girl, written in a ghostly @smokelong.bsky.social workshop led by Helen Rye. Thank you Laura at @fictivedream.bsky.social !

It's Tuesday, which means it's Author Spotlight Day! This week, we're featuring @francesgapper.bsky.social, who has two pieces in Issue 1! Frances describes her fiction piece as "#namjooning in John Galsworthy's work." Read it here: literarynamjooning.wixsite.com/litnam/post/... #flashinthefeed

Story Surprise! You thought the pop-up was all over? Think again! We saw something very special in @madeleinewrite.bsky.social's moving story of a tragic beast and offered her a structural edit to help her shape and refine it for future publication. trashcatlit.com/beastly/ #FlashFiction 1/2

We end our winter pop-up highlights (what an issue, right?) with @maireadwrites.bsky.social. We loved the dystopian setting - so original and genuinely horrifying - and those layers of story about mothers and their children. An immersive, surreal read for you 🐋 trashcatlit.com/orcas/ #FlashFiction

Today's penultimate issue highlight is from Trash Cat alum, @fionamckay.bsky.social. We loved the structure of this piece, the layers of story, the learning experience. Stunning lines and imagery in this one, go learn about bats and human truth 🦇 trashcatlit.com/mammals/

We're highlighting one of repeat bin offenders today, Andrew @muchadoaboutnil.bsky.social We love how he works prompts in such unique ways. This story really moved us, avoiding any cliché and giving us tension, pace and solid emotion. You'll love Francine too 🦧 trashcatlit.com/francine/

Today's highlight to warm your Sunday is from B.D Watson. We loved the heart of this story, surrounded by chaos and fabulous imagery. Barney quickly became one of our favourite MCs. Dot was superb working with us on edits. Give this one a read 🐒 trashcatlit.com/barneys-howl... #FlashFiction

A treat today as we highlight Alan Miller from our winter pop-up. Allan also did an interview with Trash Cat (link below) We loved Allan's baffling, bizarre, bonkers story and the pitch perfect humour. Get ready to be discombobulated 🙈 trashcatlit.com/baboon/ trashcatlit.com/2025/01/11/q...

Gooseberry Pie Lit launched its first issue a year ago with awesome micros by @megpokrass.bsky.social @shastagrant.bsky.social @francesgapper.bsky.social and Meg Tuite Send along a story. We’re always open for subs. gooseberry-pie.com/welcome-to-i...

On this very cold Thursday, we are highlighting Romy Morreo's piece in the winter pop-up. We loved the use of the different species to tell a very human story. The MC's voice is perfect, with the gentle use of humour; you will feel his emotions 🐐 trashcatlit.com/home-is-not-... #FlashFiction

For our issue highlight today, we have John Weagly and Ferocious Infidelity. We love the atmosphere created in this piece, the engaging voice of the MC, the unexpected pivot. You'll absolutely want to read more. trashcatlit.com/ferocious-in... #flashfiction #flashlit

Head down to your nearest discount store for today's highlight from @jennyhart2001.bsky.social. We loved the casual way the MC goes about a rather unexpected trip, the preoccupation with a strained relationship, the ursine chaos. Grab your basket and get stuck in 🐻 trashcatlit.com/shopping-for...

Oh the casual brutality in these devastating micros by @lumchanmfa.bsky.social in @bluestemmag.bsky.social “I don’t want to peek in the tent to see if it is him, but I do anyway because he's still my brother, even if he’s a dick.” bluestemmagazine.com/w25/melissa-...

Our issue highlight today is from @rebeccafwrites.bsky.social A powerful story of denial and fear with vivid description that discombobulates the reader. Go read Atypical Mole. trashcatlit.com/atypical-mole/

Thank you so much @trashcatlit.bsky.social for including my earwig story in their Winter Pop-Up!

Refresh, Renew, Reimagine - thank you to Melissa for including my micro in her Mythic Picnic curated anthology!

This was a challenging prompt, born out of a convo with @joclark.bsky.social back in August. It was awesome to have her on board, and her story...damn. She nailed it. There are 13 other superb stories in this issue, hope you read and enjoy every single animal 💜

Pop a cork & grab nibbles - our winter pop-up is LIVE! Fourteen flash showing immense creativity and imagination working with a challenging prompt. We'll highlight each during January but for now, read and savour, then share these amazing animals 🦝 trashcatlit.com/out-of-place...

We're on our way!

Our Ed created personalised images for each of our Winter Pop-Up stories. Here they are as a little teaser for what's coming in January... 🦝

So happy to have a micro in the Trash Cat Lit Winter Pop-up!