Author Archives: FJ Morris

First Place: Dugout by Emma Oldham

I spread my legs, drawing up my sarong, the colour of burnt dust, past my thigh. The  fabric clings to my skin, wet with sweat. Every Friday, Nikola takes the long way home, circling the brittle edge of our camp in Coober Pedy like a dingo sniffing heat. Nothing’s pretty in this part of Australia.Continue reading “First Place: Dugout by Emma Oldham”

Second Place: Diva by Cate McGowan

She didn’t sweat. That was the first thing I noticed about her. This was Georgia in July. Church fans fluttering like moth wings, sundresses sticking to the small of your back. Pews tacky to the touch. But that girl, that new girl in the peach dress, stayed dry as chalk. No pit stains. No shineContinue reading “Second Place: Diva by Cate McGowan”

Third Place: Beneath the Judas Hill by Glyn Matthews

Maggie Shaw lived below a bleak escarpment, hard against an unforgiving sky. A sore rib jutting from the Pennines, a shaper of winds. A place where Judas might have hanged himself. A place where ravens come to die. She was born there, helpless as any child. She lived and died by candlelight, departing as sheContinue reading “Third Place: Beneath the Judas Hill by Glyn Matthews”

New Voice Award: Mrs Mabli and the Weather Committee by Sharon Hier

In the Welsh village of Tywydd, it was widely accepted that the weather had moods. If the sheep escaped, it would rain. If Dai the Butcher was late opening, it would snow. If Mrs Jenkins sang while hanging out washing, clouds would scatter like gossip after chapel. Nobody could explain it, but nobody needed to.Continue reading “New Voice Award: Mrs Mabli and the Weather Committee by Sharon Hier”

Ignite: 30 days of flash fiction course

Are you looking for a flash of inspiration this autumn? Do you want to get into a better writing habit but not get hung up on word counts? It’s the season for cosy nights, glowing fires, warm soups, fairy lights, fireworks and NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) happens every year in November, and we want toContinue reading “Ignite: 30 days of flash fiction course”

The 2023 winter short-list

We are thrilled to announce our short-list for the winter Oxford Flash Fiction Prize 2023. If your story is listed, please do not identify which story belongs to you, as the judges are hard at work making their decisions. SHORT LISTED STORIES Congratulations to everyone on the list who will be awarded publication and either a yearContinue reading “The 2023 winter short-list”

First Place: The Anatomy of Arriving by Michele Wong

This story was first published in December 2022 by The Master’s Review, and then by the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize in 2023. Your feet move slowly, dragging one Samsonite hardcase till you reach the departure gate where you feel the eel of awkward slip from head to toes as each word bends the heart whenContinue reading “First Place: The Anatomy of Arriving by Michele Wong”

Sticks and Stones: Oxford Flash Fiction Anthology launch – 23 April, 5 pm

We are thrilled to launch the first Oxford Flash Fiction anthology 2021 this month, and you are invited! Celebrate with us for an evening of readings, prizes and more, with past judges, and the authors themselves. 23 April 2022 5 pm Authors Cornerlis Affre, Gayathiri Dhevi Appathurai, Holly Barratt, John Barron, Lydia Benson, Sharon Boyle,Continue reading “Sticks and Stones: Oxford Flash Fiction Anthology launch – 23 April, 5 pm”

First place: The De Facto Mother by Yasmina Din Madden

Kiki learns that male alligators have permanent erections while she watches the Discovery Channel instead of grading five paragraph essays from her eighth graders who, among the boys, she also suspects have permanent erections. Over the many years she’s taught, she’s seen hundreds of boys adjust themselves, eyes darting around the room, checking to see if anyone noticed, orContinue reading “First place: The De Facto Mother by Yasmina Din Madden”