Competitions

Shooter lit mag’s short story competition has launched for stories up to 5000 words, deadline May 31. The Short Fiction/ University of Essex prize for short stories up to 5000 words closes on March 31.

The Quiet Man Dave prize, a new international prize for flash fiction and flash non-fiction, is now open for entries, deadline April 17. The Creative Future Writers Awards are open now for short fiction up to 2000 words, deadline May 30.

Lit Mags & Anthologies

Fairlight Books is calling for short story submissions.

Workshops & Courses

Claire Keegan is running a three-day fiction writing workshop from March 14-16 in Co.Wexford.

Live Lit & Festivals

Stroud Short Stories is calling for submissions by March 8 for its April event.

News

We welcome a new live lit event to our list: The Whole Story is a new poetry, prose and music night which takes place in London on every fourth Friday of the month.

Lit Mags & Anthologies

Here Comes Everyone wants your green-themed stories for its next issue by 10 Feb, and Guts Publishing is calling for submissions for its anthology on the theme of cyberlives, deadline 15 Feb.

Competitions

The Quiet Man Dave prize, a new international prize for flash fiction and flash non-fiction, is now open for entries, deadline April 17. The Creative Future Writers Awards are open now for short fiction up to 2000 words, deadline May 30. Reflex Fiction announces its Autumn winners, and the spring competition for flash fiction between 180-360 words closes on Feb 29. The Short Fiction/ University of Essex prize for short stories up to 5000 words closes on March 31.

Live Lit & Festivals

Short Shorts is holding its Valentine’s Special in London on Friday Feb 14. Stroud Short Stories is calling for submissions by March 8 for its April event.

White Rabbit is calling for submissions for an evening of short stories in Ashford, Kent, on the theme of ‘Wonder’ in March 2020, deadline 14th Feb.  Story Friday is calling for submissions for its Leap-themed event on Feb 28th in Bath, deadline 17th Feb.

Workshops & Courses

Haringey Live Lit is running another Novella Fever novella-writing course beginning at the end of February in London. Claire Keegan is running six days of short stories over six Saturdays in March and April in Dublin.

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a wonderful year full of short stories – writing, reading, submitting, performing and listening to them! We welcome a new lit mag to our list: Fudoki magazine: “an online, flash fiction magazine of myths, legends, fables, fantasy, folklore and fairytales.”

Lit Mags & Chapbooks

The A3 Review is asking, Is your work too intense? They want to read your intense chapbooks of disquiet – send your short stories and flash fictions by Jan 10th.

Competitions

The Short Fiction/ University of Essex prize for short stories up to 5000 words is now open, deadline March 31st. Reflex Fiction’s spring competition is now open for flash fictions of 180-360 words, deadline 29 Feb.

Live Lit & Festivals

Story Friday is calling for submissions for its Leap-themed event on Feb 28th in Bath, deadline 17th Feb. White Rabbit is calling for submissions for an evening of short stories in Ashford, Kent, on the theme of ‘Wonder’ in March 2020, deadline 14th Feb.

Workshops & Courses

Haringey Live Lit’s Novella Fever course begins at the end of January in London. Claire Keegan is running two manuscript-based workshops in Dublin in February.

Competitions

CLOSING TODAY: the Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition for stories of up to 1000 words. Ouen Press short story competition for stories on the theme of ‘the gift’  closes 31st December.

Lit Mags & Chapbooks

The A3 Review has announced its new contest themes. Fictive Dream is calling for submissions for Flash Fiction February 2020.

Workshops & Courses

Haringey Live Lit are running a Novella Fever course beginning end Jan in London. Claire Keegan is holding a manuscript workshop in Dublin on Dec 7th, and will be running a residential writing weekend in Tullow, Ireland, Jan 3-5th.

Live Lit & Festivals

Talking Tales will hold its next event on Dec 10th in Bristol, which will be an anthology launch for To Hull and Back. White Rabbit is calling for submissions for an evening of short stories in Ashford, Kent, on the theme of ‘Wonder’ in March 2020.

Lit Mags & Chapbooks

Fictive Dream is open for submissions for Flash Fiction February 2020. Pixel Heart is calling for submissions for its 4th issue, on the theme of ‘joy’, deadline Nov 1st, and submissions are now open for Shooter lit mag‘s “supernatural” issue.

Competitions

Ouen Press short story competition for stories on the theme of ‘the gift’ is now open, deadline 31st December. Oct 31st is the deadline for entries to A Story for Daniel, a flash fiction competition raising awareness of childhood cancer support. And you have until Dec 2nd to enter the Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition for stories of up to 1000 words.

Live Lit & Festivals

Warwick Live Lit is holding a spooky lit event, Words That Go Bump In The Night, on Oct 10th. Story Friday wants your stories on the theme of ‘Chemistry’ by Oct 28th for its Nov 8th event in Bath. Judy Darley invites you to the launch of her second short story collection, in the company of several other writers, in Waterstones, Bristol on Nov 2nd. Untitled Writers is holding its third salon on Nov 7th in London.

Workshops & Courses

Curtis Brown Creative is running a six-week online short story course taught by Cynan Jones, starting on Oct 17th. Haringey Live Lit’s weekly short story workshop with Kiare Ladner begins on Oct 30th in London.The next 30 Days of Writing online course begins on November 1st, run by Shaun Levin, editor of the A3 Review.

Competitions

Oct 31st is the deadline for entries to A Story for Daniel, a flash fiction competition raising awareness of childhood cancer support. And you have until Dec 2nd to enter the Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition for stories of up to 1000 words.

Lit Mags & Chapbooks

Fictive Dream has some wonderful news and is calling for submissions. The Shadow Booth Vol. 4 is now available for pre-order. Tales from the Forest is calling for submissions, deadline Sep 29.

Workshops & Courses

Haringey Live Lit is running a new weekly short story workshop with Kiare Ladner from Oct 30th in London. Claire Keegan is holding a weekend workshop on dialogue, Oct 5 & 6, County Wexford.

Live Lit

Stroud Short Stories is calling for short stories from Gloucestershire and S. Gloucestershire writers for its event on Nov 10th as part of the Stroud Book Festival, deadline Sep 29th.

Competitions

A Story for Daniel, a flash fiction competition raising awareness of childhood cancer support, is open for entries, deadline Oct 31. Reflex Fiction announced its Summer longlist and the Autumn flash competition is open for entries of between 180-360 words, deadline Aug 31.  The Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition is open for entries of up to 1000 words, deadline Dec 2.

Lit Mags & Chapbooks

Tales from the Forest is calling for submissions, deadline Sep 29, Issue 13 of the Nottingham Review is now available. Fictive Dream is calling for submissions.

Articles & Blogs

Shannon Savvas reviews KM Elkesnew flash fiction collection, All That Is Between Us. Baret Magarian tells us about the gestation of his new short story collection, Melting Point.

Live Lit

Talking Tales is open for submissionsuntil Aug 9 for its flash fiction special in Bristol on Aug 20. Short Shorts Friday is holding its next event on August 30 at the Pentameters Theatre, London.

News

We’re delighted to welcome another new Lit Mag to our list: Clover & White: “an online literary magazine that publishes all writers but with a real focus on showcasing the talents of underrepresented and emerging authors”

Competitions

The Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition is open for entries of up to 1000 words, deadline Dec 2. Reflex Fiction’s Autumn flash competition is open for entries of between 180 -360 words, deadline Aug 31. The Show Me Yours Prizefor writing on sex and desire closes on July 10th.

Lit Mags

Issue 13 of the Nottingham Review is now available. Fictive Dream is open for submissions. BlueHouse journal is calling for submissions for its first issue.

Articles & Blogs

Sandra Arnold writes a blog post for us about writing her new flash fiction collection, Soul Etchings. The Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award tells ShortStops about its new initiative, I Heart Short Stories.

News

We’re delighted to welcome two new Lit Mags to our list: BlueHouse Journal, which likes “the edged of things”, and Another North, “a new online platform for writing from, or set in the North of England.” Do check them out – and see BlueHouse’s call for submissions below!

Competitions

Flashback Fiction’s summer historical microfiction competition for pieces up to 100 words long on the theme of the Moon is now open for entries, deadline June 16. The Show Me Yours Prize for writing on sex and desire is open for entries until July 10th. The deadline for the Hastings Lit Fest short story competition – with short story & flash fiction categories – is  30 June.

Live Lit & Festivals

White Rabbit’s Bernadette Russell is taking part in The Hunters Grimm storyhunting show in London in June. Dive into Weekend of Words this weekend at Victoria Baths in Manchester, June 7-9, and catch Arachne Press at festivals in South London.

Lit Mags & Chapbooks

BlueHouse journal is calling for submissions for its first issue. All Those Things Left Unsaid is calling for submissions on the topic of “Things Left Unsaid”. Fictive Dream is open for submissions.

Courses & Workshops

Claire Keegan is teaching a weekend of fiction writing and reading on the subject of “The Child in Society”, in Co. Wexford at the end of June.  Novel Nights is holding a short fiction masterclass with Vanessa Gebbie on Sept 8th in Bristol.

Articles & Blogs

The Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award tells ShortStops about its new initiative, I Heart Short Stories.

News

We’re delighted to welcome two new Live Lit nights to our list – Untitled, London, for underrepresented writers; and Flash in Hand, Bristol’s first flash fiction open mic – and a new Lit Mag: All Those Things Left Unsaid, on the theme of conversations that were never had. The UK & Ireland short story scene is flourishing!

Competitions

The Reflex Fiction Summer ’19 flash fiction contest is open for entries until 31 May (180-360 words). The Hastings Lit Fest short story competition – with short story & flash fiction categories – is now open, deadline 30 June. The Creative Future Writers Award for under-represented writers is open, on the theme of “Home”, deadline 2 June.

Live Lit & Festivals

Join in Bristol’s first flash open mic, Flash in Hand, tonight, May 13th! Dive into Weekend of Words, at Victoria Baths in Manchester, June 7-9, and catch Arachne Press at festivals in South London. The next Stroud Short Stories is being held on May 19th in Stroud.

Lit Mags & Chapbooks

All Those Things Left Unsaid is calling for submissions on the topic of “Things Left Unsaid” and Pixel Heart is looking for stories on the theme of “Nature” by 31st May. Fictive Dream is open for submissions.

Courses & Workshops

Join in 30 Days of Writing, an online course starting in June and run by Shaun Levin of The A3 Press. Haringey Lit Live is running another Novella Fever course, starting on May 15th in Haringey. Novel Nights is holding a short fiction masterclass with Vanessa Gebbie on Sept 8th in Bristol.

Articles

Amira Richards blogs about reading and writing short stories

Competitions  

National Flash Fiction Day is calling for flash fiction on the theme of “Doors” for its annual anthology, and for entries to its microfiction competition, deadline 15 March for both. Reflex Fiction has announced its Autumn 2018 winners – and the Spring flash fiction contest is now open, deadline Feb 28th. Writers HQ has announced its new quarterly flash competition, for stories up to 500 words, deadline 31 March.

Lit Mags

Fictive Dream is calling for submissions. Tales from the Forest is calling for submissions for its tenth issue, which is unthemed, deadline Feb 17.

Live Lit  

Story Friday is calling for submissions on the theme “Invitation”, deadline 11 March, for their event in Bath on 22 March.

Mentoring & Courses

Word Factory is looking for four emerging short story writers to take part in its Apprentice Award programme, deadline Feb 7. 

Books  

Spotlight Books is calling for short fiction manuscripts from English writers from underrepresented backgrounds, deadline 24 Feb.

Happy New Year – may it be filled with short stories and writing successes!

Lit Mags

Here Comes Everyone is calling for submissions for their ‘Classified’ issue, deadline 1 Feb. The Shadow Booth is open to submissions of weird and eerie fiction from womenwriters only in January. Tales from the Forest is calling for submissions for its tenth issue, which is unthemed, deadline Feb 17.

Live Lit

Story Friday is open to submissions for its next live event, in Bath, on the theme of ‘2018’, deadline 14 Jan.

Mentoring & Courses

Word Factory is looking for four emerging short story writers to take part in its Apprentice Awardprogramme, deadline Feb 7. Haringey Live Lit is running a 6-week novella-writing course in London, beginning Jan 30.

Books

Spotlight Books is calling for short fiction manuscripts from English writers from underrepresented backgrounds, deadline 24 Feb.

Competitions

Tavistock Library is running Gothic short story and flash fiction competitions, deadline May 31st.

New on ShortStops

Welcome to our final newsletter of 2018 – here’s to a great 2019 filled with short stories! This month we welcome Big Words Manchester to our Live Lit list, a new monthly spoken word night in Chorlton, Manchester.

Live Lit

Talking Tales #21 is being held on Dec 8th in Bristol and will feature the launch of the To Hull and Back short story anthology.

Lit Mags & Anthology

The A3 Review and Press has announced its new contest themes and the new issue is now available. Pixel Heart lit mag is calling for submissions for its second issue, on the theme of “Pride”. Unlit Press is inviting submissions on the theme of “darkness” for its first horror & dark fiction anthology, deadline 31 Dec.

Book Review

Ella March writes about her favourite story from Susmita Bhattacharya’s collection, Table Manners, published by Dahlia Publishing.

Short Story Workshops

The Unthank School is now open for enrolment in the online short story workshops and masterclass with Tom Vowler, which will start in January.

Competitions

Tavistock Library is running Gothic short story and flash fiction competitions, deadline May 31st.

Lit Mags & Anthology

Jared Shurin is calling for submissions of stories previously published in 2018 for the Best of British Fantasy anthology, deadline 1 Dec. Fictive Dream is currently offering two submission opportunities. Unlit Press is inviting submissions on the theme of “darkness” for its first horror & dark fiction anthology, deadline 31 Dec.

Competitions

The London Independent Story Prize is open for entries, deadline Nov 12th. Writers HQ has announced its From LGBTQ+ With Love flash fiction competition, deadline 30 Nov. Reflex Fiction has announced its Summer 2018 winners.