Submissions open for 2026 BBC National Short Story Awards with Cambridge University. Entries close 9am GMT Monday 16 March

From The Well short story competition is open for submissions until 27 February. Judged by @hollowaywriter.bsky.social. Cork County Council will launch the anthology at WCLF in July. Fist prize includes a place on our short story writing workshop www.corkcoco.ie/en/news/from...

A big round of applause, please! FFF are pleased to announce the FFF Competition Thirty-One Shortlist Congratulations to those who made the Shortlist and commiserations to those who did not make it this time. #flashfiction #writingcompetitions freeflashfiction.com/competition-...

I might be sending @natflashfictionday.bsky.social micro comp my Welkin piece - 100 word max. If anyone else missed out, this might be the next home for your piece! It’s a great comp. @joannacampbell.bsky.social’s (judge) work is sublime!

Somebody pinch me, because I’m … on the shortlist??? 🤯 Congrats to the other shortlisters. Can’t wait to read your stories!

Ever so grateful to be on the shortlist 🥹 can’t wait to read all the tiny stories!

Omg! My story did it again! I'm super happy rn... again! Congratulations to everyone! Looking forward to read the stories! Aaahhhh (screams of happiness)

My lil piece made it onto the Welkin shortlist!! Beyond grateful (not to mention shocked), and so excited it will be out in the world soon!

Congratulations all the stellar authors on the shortlist - and congratulations to all of us for entering!

Just 3 weeks till our 32nd Award closes on Feb 1st. £1460 in prizes. 300 words max & shorter pieces welcome. Results out end of Feb. Anthology. bathflashfictionaward.com

I made the Welkin shortlist for the first time ever! Just a bit excited…

Are you ready for a shortlist? Here we are then... 🤩 My TOP TWENTY picks for the Welkin Writing Prize 2026. Each of these is a marvel and a gem, and they'll be coming your way one by one over the next three weeks: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...

Fell off, but happy to have come this far! Congrats to all shortlisters and a hearty round of applause for @mattkendrick.bsky.social who is a gem for running this *free* comp so brilliantly @welkinprize.bsky.social 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🧡🧡🧡

Thrilled to find my story on here 😁. congratulations to everyone on the list and fingers crossed for the shortlist.

My little story is on the longlist! Grateful to Matt for the inspiration to write after a period of not writing/submitting much.

A round of applause, please... FFF are pleased to announce The FFF Competition Thirty-One Longlist... Congratulations to those who made the Longlist and commiserations to those who did not make it this time. #flashfiction #writingcompetitions freeflashfiction.com/competition-...

Have you seen that our latest short story competition is open? We are looking for short stories up to 6,000 words responding in any way to the prompt: RESERVED More details on our website! www.ironcladcreative.org/shortstoryco...

Fairly sure I messed mine up with an errant comma - the kind a magazine would fix but a competition would frown on. I’m definitely going to blame the comma 😂 But hey, ho. Give it a go. Watch your punctuation

Meet the first of our 2026 Judges, Daisy Johnson! Read about all our judges here: bssp.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/judges/

Meet our 2026 Judges: Celeste Mohammed!

Meet our 2026 judges: Claire Carroll!

Meet our 2026 Judges: Zakiya McKenzie!

Meet our 2026 judges: Michael Kalisch! www.bristol.ac.uk/people/perso...

We’re open for submissions! Closing date 31st January. Visit our website to read our submission rules, register your entry, and check out our amazing judges: bssp.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/rules/

The Cúirt New Writing Prize 2026 Application deadline: 31st January 2026 The Cúirt New Writing Prize, kindly sponsored by Tigh Neachtain in memory of Lena McGuire, is now open for submissions. There are four categories: poetry, short fiction, essay and Irish Language poetry and short fiction. This…

Fish Flash Fiction Prize 2026 Fish Flash Fiction Prize deadline: 28th February 2026 The Fish Flash Fiction Prize is an opportunity to attempt one of the most interesting and rewarding tasks – to create, in a tiny fragment, a completely resolved and compelling story in 300 words or less. Tania…

New blog post: a shiny new list of UK and Ireland short story competitions for 2026 anneolearyblog.wordpress.com/2026/01/08/s...

Our Fiction Contest is open until the end of the month! We're so excited to have Jamil Jan Kochai as this year's judge. Send us your best fiction under 4,000 words. Winners receive publication, contributor payment, and a full scholarship to our Writers Workshop. kenyonreview.org/submit/short...

What better time to write about family than just after the holidays? Could be cathartic...

Also thrilled to make it onto this longlist (on my third try… it’s a tough ‘un.) Congrats & commiserations to all, but mostly congrats, because you are out there writing. Resisting despair and hate and ugliness and making art in spite of everything. 👏🏻💙✨

Had to stare at this list for a bit to let things soak in but…my little story is on the longlist!!! 🤩 Congrats to my fellow longlisters!Hugs to those who almost made it! And THANK YOU to Matt for reading over 1000 entries and holding this wonderful (and nail biting) contest!

Thrilled to be on the longlist. Thanks so much Matt for all your hard work! Commiserations to those who just missed it. That was me last year and I know how gutting it is. 💜🙏💜

Gobsmacked to see my lil piece on the longlist!! Congrats to all!! These titles are 🤩 thank you thank you @mattkendrick.bsky.social!

Oooh my baby is on the longlist! The Welkin is one of the most fun comps around, thanks @mattkendrick.bsky.social for your work 💚 Congrats to my fellow longlist mates, too!

The little story that could, and is still chugging along! Thrilled to make my first ever Welkin's longlist!!! Thank you for making my week! What a fun start to the year. Congratulations to all on the list and commiserations to the rest as well. Thank you, Matt!

DRUM ROLL!!!! 🥁🥁🥁 It gives me great pleasure to announce the SPARKLING longlist for the Welkin Writing Prize 2026. Congratulations to all the writers on this list. And commiserations to everyone else. The standard was incredibly high: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...

Thrilled to see my story on this longlist! Congratulations to everyone on it and hugs to those who missed out this time.❤️

OMG, I'm on the longlist!!! What a massive boost in possibly the most miserable week of the year. This was on my fourth attempt, so it shows persistence pays off. Thank you, @mattkendrick.bsky.social!

I got no bidnis being here given I wrote, tweaked and subbed with minutes to spare to the deadline, but I is, and I is grateful. Thank you @mattkendrick.bsky.social for this amazing comp 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Wow. Pinch me. I can 👀 my piece on the longlist!

….I had a nice piece of news before I nip off on holiday. I have been longlisted for the Welkin Prize. So rapt. I was a very late entry! Congratulations to the other longlisted authors and good luck for the next round. @welkinprize.bsky.social 💚

Our flash fiction contest is BACK, and our Patrons have selected the perfect theme to start the year! 🎆🥂 January's theme is INTERRUPTED RITES. 🌬️🕯️ Time to break cycles, blow out candles, sweep up salt circles and reclaim traditions. You have until the 31st to submit! www.patreon.com/posts/januar...

It's longlist eve (is that a thing? It is now!). The longlist is coming your way at some point tomorrow morning... If you've not had a response yes, you're either (a) on the longlist, (b) a close-but-no-cigar, or (c) your email bounced... So, you know, hold your breath!!! And good luck!

Ready? Our fifth annual fiction contest begins Jan. 15th. We want stories that make the reader think and feel, work that humbles us with its joy, humor, embarrassment, anger, hope, grief, or all of the above, and gravitate toward writing that has something important to teach us. #writingcommunity

Deadline Jan 31: Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest Submit fiction up to 7,500 words to win $500 and pub. All stories have a connection to the Bluegrass State—set in Kentucky, written by a Kentuckian, or inspired by a Kentucky relative. Fee: $20. https://bluegrasswriterscoalition.com/contest/

That's it folks!!!! Entries are now closed for another year! An INCREDIBLE 1277 (!!!) entries have been received. A record. I have some tough choices ahead. The longlist should hopefully be coming your way on the 8th January. That's next Thursday! Good luck!

Last day for entries today. A reminder that the deadline is 3pm GMT! Don't get caught out!

I've made my first submission of the year, but it's my 8th - and assumedly last, barring lightspeed rejection - to @welkinprize.bsky.social. I suspect @mattkendrick.bsky.social must be sick of my long list-hopeful entries. Fingers crossed, the Rs are because I've been against great competition.

🚨The 5th annual Blue Frog flash fiction contest is now open!! flash-frog.com/submit/

Nice way to start and end a year!