News and Updates


Monday 14 May
For those of you not fortunate enough to be on the NFFD mailing list, here’s the latest newsletter. Worth a read if you feel like getting involved in something and have not yet got anything planned:

Hello again,

Well, this will be the last bulletin before the big day, which is just TWO DAYS away!!

This is the time for a roundup of all the things happening on Wednesday that you can still help out and get involved with. (All times are given in BST.)

The whole thing kicks off tomorrow, actually, with the first official event happening at the Shrewsbury Coffeehouse from 8pm. There will be conversation, readings and even a chance to write. Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/411297818883762/ and http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/midlands.html

Then, at midnight, the FlashFlood journal goes live, with stories appearing regularly throughout the 24 hours of NFFD. Submissions don’t close until midnight tomorrow, so do please send in your pieces and encourage people to do the same. Details: http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.co.uk/

Throughout the day, the #FlashTag gang will be regaling the people of Manchester with small tales in a flash-fiction-flash-mob kind of way. Details: http://flashtagmcr.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/national-flash-fiction-day-flash-in-manchester/

At 10am Emma J Lannie will be leading a workshop in Derby. There are still two places available, and it’s FREE. So if you can, I think you should! Details: http://flashfictioncentral.eventbrite.com/

And at 10.30am in Trowbridge, there will be a Flash Fiction workshop with writer and tutor, Josephine Corcoran http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/southwest.html

At 11am the Write-In will start. This will provide a huge number of prompts for you to write an instant flash and see it appear on the blog. It will run until 3pm and no submissions will be accepted after that. We could still use some more prompts, so if you have a list of interesting words, phrases, titles, lyrics or whatever, do please send them over. Details: http://thewrite-in.blogspot.co.uk/

And then, we reach the evening. The main launch event will be occurring in Southampton Central Library from 6.30/7.00pm until about 9.00 and featuring the launch of Jawbreakers along with readings from myself, Vanessa Gebbie, Holly Howitt, Sara Crowley, Gail Aldwin, Natalie Bowers, Tim Stephenson and more (along with some of videos if we get it working!) Do please come along if you can, it’s entirely free! https://www.facebook.com/events/379325198752054/ and http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/southwest.html

In Scotland, Underword are holding a flash-fiction event from 7.30pm in the Bongo Club in Edinburgh. Details: http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/scotland.html

In Carlisle there will be an event at the Merienda Café/Bar from 7.30pm. Details: http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/northwest.html

And in Liverpool there will be the final of Flash-Fiction At The End Of The World at the Unity Theatre: http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/northwest.html

In Manchester, the folks from Bad Language will be finishing off their competition with an evening of flash at Afflecks theatre: http://badlanguagemcr.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/national-flash-fiction-day-finalists/

Central Library, Hartlepool will be hosting an evening of flash from 6.30pm: http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/northeast.html

And in Leeds, Dead Ink will also be hosting an evening of flash from 7.30pm: http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/northeast.html

The Word Counts/Bookish/Abergavenney Focus competition reaches its end with an event from 7.30pm in The King’s Head, Abergavenney: http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/wales.html

While in Bar One at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, you can enjoy artworks and the stories they have inspired: https://www.facebook.com/events/275638122527584/ and http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/wales.html

The Albion Bookshop in Oxford will be hosting a flash-slam from 6.30pm, judged by Tania Hershman: http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/southwest.html

At 7.45pm, if you’re in Brighton you should go along to Grit Lit for some flash, some poetry and some other stuff! http://gritlit16may2012-eac1.eventbrite.co.uk/?ebtv=C

And last, but in no ways least, the first ever NFFD also sees the first ever IFFD event (International, that is!) So, if you are in Dublin, get yourself along to Big Smoke for a great evening, including Alison Wells: http://www.inkwellwriters.ie/national-flash-fiction-day-at-big-smoke/

There are, of course, competitions and things still going on over at http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/competitions.html
and copies of Jawbreakers to order at http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/anthology.html
and a range of the Kindle books we have listed on our site at http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/kindle.html will also be available throughout the day… for FREE!!

And that’s pretty much it. Things will be happening over the next day on the blog (http://nationalflashfictionday.blogspot.com/), website (http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nationalflashfictionday) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/nationalflashfd), so stay tuned and spread the word.

And here goes National Flash-Fiction Day 2012!!

All the best for the day,
Calum Kerr
Director


Thank you, Calum!


Tuesday 17 April
The short list has been revealed and all 50 fifty shortlisted stories will appear on the site over the next week or so.

Wednesday 4 April

Now revealing The Long List

Monday 2 April

ANTHOLOGY UPDATE

Submissions for the flash collection were still coming in up until 11pm on Saturday night. Most of the readers’ feedback is in but we’re waiting for a handful to come back.
The next stage will involve some re-reads on those stories that we’ve long-listed. We should be in a position to post that long-list here in a few days or early next week, if you’re interested. The long list will have to be whittled down further next week.


Wednesday 28 March

I’ve had a couple of questions regarding submissions so I want to make it clear that previously published work (on a blog, for example) IS okay to submit as long as you, the writer, still own the rights to the work and the previous place of publication allows it.
Writers will continue to own and have full rights to any of their stories so the responsibility lies with the writers to make sure they are not breaking any contract or copyright.
A few people have been usure about whether they are allowed to submit more than one piece of writing. This is fine. We’re quite happy to except more than one submission from the same person (to a point!)

We’re in the final three days now. Submissions close midnight Saturday night.


Monday 19 March

Submissions are still trickling in daily and from the feedback it looks like a varied mix of lengths and styles. Some reactions to the stories are so pleasing they have me itching to email the writer with the news but I know it’s best to wait until we’ve finished. What I’d like to do is have a line from one reader next to each story to say what they especially liked about it. Far too often writers don’t get enough feedback and I think this will be good for both readers and writers.

12 days left to submit.
Please keep your stories coming in. If we can double what we have so far, we’ll have enough for a printed anthology.

Don’t forget there’s the National Flash Fiction Day site for all National Flash Fiction Day news.
And we can both be liked on facebook: Facebook.com/NationalFlashFictionDay | Facebook.com/FlashFictionSouthWest

Keep ‘em coming,
Rachel


Monday 12th March
We have a facebook page for you to “like” and tell friends and family about. We will be posting updates and a link to one flash fiction to read regularly: Flash-Fiction South West Page

19 days to go if you haven’t submitted anything yet!

Sunday 11th March 2012
Three teams with 5 readers in each are reading through all the submissions we’ve had so far.
We’ve had a good number of submissions and some very varied feedback!

In each team there are people with very different tastes and backgrounds in literature – which means that when we get positive feedback from 3 or 4 readers we know we’ve got something with fairly wide appeal.

(Submissions and feedback are anonymous)

Still 20 days to go if you haven’t submitted anything yet!