In 2026, I decided to enter both the National Flash Fiction Day (NFFD) competition (for stories under 300 words) and the associated international Micro Madness competition (for stories under 100 words). It turned out to be a good decision, as my story “Before The Earthquake” placed third in the NFFD competition, while my story “The Retreat” was longlisted in the Micro Madness competition.
The results were announced on National Flash Fiction Day, 22 June – the shortest day of the year. The Wellington event was held at Newtown Library, ably organised by Constance Phua, with judges Ingrid Horrocks and Tim Saunders in attendance. It was a great night!
You can now read the winning stories, and watch them being read, at the excellent Flash Frontier site:
National Flash Fiction Day results and stories, including “Before The Earthquake”: https://flashfrontier.com/june-2026-national-flash-fiction-day/
Micro Madness stories, including “The Retreat”: https://nationalflash.org/2026-micro-madness/
My congratulations to all the longlisted, shortlisted, and winning entrants, and my thanks to the judges, and to the organisers, who do an enormous amount of work each year to make this competition a national – and international – success!
