Hello lovers of well-crafted and brief particles of prose,
Welcome to autumn! Here’s what’s been happening on our blog over the past fortnight. As ever, if you’d like to contribute, drop me a line and I’ll explain how it works: shortstopsuk@gmail.com

Lit Mags

Jotters United publishes issue 6 and is calling for submissions for its women-only issue. Check out the summer issue of Long Story, Short and issue 6 of Alt Hist. Firewords Quarterly has launched its second issue (review coming soon).  And there’s also  one of the 100 stories that accompanied the release of Mark Watson’s new novel, Hotel Alpha, Issue 38 of Neon Magazine – and Battery Pack, Don’t Do It’s Issue 5, the Electricity issue, and Bunbury’s fifth issue is the Mythology special.

On the submissions front: Short Fiction journal wants your short stories. Holdfast is fundraising for its first ever print anthology and also calling for submissions for Issue 4: Diverse Reflections. The Manchester Review is also calling for submissions for Issue 13. The Casket of Fictional Delights is calling for your Christmas stories!

Competitions

The WriteIdea Prize unveils its longlist today… Words and Women launch 2 great new writing opportunities for women writers in the east of England. The London Magazine’s short story competition opens on Sept 1st, deadline, Oct 31st, and international entries are welcome. Not to be confused with the London Short Story Prize, for London writers only, whose deadline is Sep 19. The Historic House Short Story Comp (26 Sep) wants stories inspired by or set in a historic house. Magic Oxygen are running a new short story and poetry contest, deadline 30th November.

Live Lit

White Rabbit is holding a Wonderlands Storytelling Walk this Sunday Sept 14th in London, and also invites you to submit your spooky stories for Are You Sitting Comfortably?’s Halloween party on October 31st in London.

Workshops
The Tavistock Heritage Festival is running two free workshops on historical fiction in October. Alison Clayburn’s autumn fortnightly Focus On Fiction course at the Brunel Museum starts on Sep 22.

Last Minutes & Gentle Reminders

The RAC’s national short story competition on the theme of Driving in Europe, deadline 11 Sept; The short story competition from VCLL  (for people from Leicester and surrounding areas) deadline 12th Sep; Creative Industries Trafford’s flash fiction competition, deadline Sept 15th and the London Short Story Prize, for London writers only, whose deadline is Sep 19th.

If you are eager for even more short-story-related news, do follow ShortStops on Twitter where, when we should be writing, we spend (far too) much time passing on news from lit mags, live lit events, short story workshops and festivals! If you’d like to review an event or a publication, drop me a line.

Happy reading, writing, listening and performing!