Southam Book Festival: Flash Fiction Competition 2026
5 September 2026
Writers submitting 100 word stories for Southam Book Festival’s Flash Fiction competition must include one particular word selected by one of the judges. This years chosen word is HORIZON. They will be looking for works that are original and can be entertaining, thought-provoking, witty, have a relevant message or observation of society.
Prizes:
- 1st prize: £60
- 2nd prize: £30
- 3rd prize: £20
Guidelines:
- The competition is open to anyone who is 16 years and over.
- The competition is for an original work of fiction no longer than 100 words in length.
- Each story must have a title and the title must be included in the word count. Hyphenated words count as one word.
- The work must contain the following word : horizon
- The key word must not be used as the title of your story.
- The work must be previously unpublished and not be simultaneously entered into any other competition. It must be that the work has been created solely by the person submitting the entry to the competition.
- 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.
Entry fee: 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.
Deadline: 5 September 2026