Submit to The Brittle Paper Flash Fiction Competition
Write a 22-word story (exactly, no more or less) about the role of the writer in the 22nd century.
Does this fit your work? 5 questions score every call to your medium, location and budget. Free.
Get matched →- Deadline
- 1 day left
- Entry fee
- Free
- Award
- $100
- Location
- Online · organized from Online (Brittle Paper)
- Applicants notified
- Aug 31, 2026
About
Overview
Brittle Paper is holding a Flash Fiction competition to celebrate their debut Literary Festival on 29 August 2026. Inspired by the keynote panel theme "Does the Writer Still Have a Role?", writers are asked to imagine the role of the writer in the 22nd century—200 years after Achebe published Things Fall Apart. The story can be any genre or form, from romance to horror to dystopian.
The Challenge
Write a 22-word story, no more or less, about the writer in the 22nd century. Consider: What does the role of the writer look like in 2158? What does that world look like for the writer? How has the writer's audience changed? Are there still writers, and if so, what are their inspirations and motivations?
Key Dates
- Submission deadline: 28 August 2026
- Winners announced: 31 August 2026
Prizes & Publication
- First place: $100
- Second place: $50
- Third place: $50
- Top 10 pieces published on Brittle Paper
Eligibility & Requirements
- Open to emerging African writers
- Unpublished work only
- Exactly 22 words (title does not count toward word limit)
- Submit one entry per writer only
- Include author photo and biography, plus nationality
- Submit in Word format
- AI use to construct work is not allowed
How to Submit
Email your submission to [email protected] with the subject line "Flash Fiction Competition Submission". Submissions that do not follow the guidelines will be omitted from the selection process. Late submissions will not be included.
Selection
Selection will take place after the deadline. Winners will be announced on 31 August 2026 on the Brittle Paper site.
- Award
- First place: $100; second and third place: $50 each. Top 10 pieces published on Brittle Paper.
- Entry fee
- Free to enter
- Entries per artist
- Up to 1
- Theme
- Celebrating the 22nd century writer: imagine the role of the writer 200 years after Achebe published Things Fall Apart—what does that world and the writer's role look like?
- Eligibility
- Open to emerging African writers; unpublished work only; AI use not permitted.
- Audience
- Emerging African writers
- Contact
- [email protected]
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.