Vol. IX: “POP!” is the intersection of tradition and trend, with moments that will surprise you, inspire you to think outside of your bubble, or maybe even reference some of your favorite songs. Check out the issue here: tinyurl.com/ExpoV9POP.

Glad I signed up for a @mattkendrick.bsky.social workshop cuz I think I’d forgotten how to do flash after a longish break. Blew away some cobwebs 😆

I detest these AI checkers/detectors or whatever. Everything is AI cause it has Oxford commas or “genuinely” or something.

The Verge@theverge.com · 4mo ago

Did the Pope use AI to warn us about the dangers of AI?

I’ve returned to the world of the living after writing and editing a whole novel — actually two — this past year. I’m so tired, but in a good way. Looking forward to (hopefully) publishing flash again (stop rejecting my stuff!)

SECOND PLACE in the Welkin Writing Prize 2026, "What Stays Behind" by Muntasir Salman. A powerhouse of a micro with so much buried inside its one hundred words: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

What Stays Behind | MattKendrick.co.uk

mattkendrick.co.uk

I can never run a comp because this was freaking impossible. I flipped a coin for a couple I’m not gonna lie 😆

The Welkin Press@welkinpress.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Now that all the shortlist (barring my winners!) have been published, you can vote for your favourites in the PEOPLE'S PRIZE!! You've got until the 31st Jan to cast your vote. Vote for 3 stories. The 2 stories with the most votes share the crown!! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

“Because ojha exorcise, poke her with hot needle, but Gopa-Devi quiet, no cry. Because no one should look at her.” I love the use of language here and the way it conveys a sense of place and pathos.

The Welkin Press@welkinpress.bsky.social · 8mo ago

THIRD PLACE in the Welkin Writing Prize 2026, "That Witch, Gopa Devi, She Burn" by @anibanerjee.bsky.social. A story that crackles from beginning to end, propulsive and powerful: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

I’ve always wanted to write a forwards-backwards story like this but never quite managed it. This one does it so well.

The Welkin Press@welkinpress.bsky.social · 8mo ago

HIGHLY COMMENDED in the Welkin Writing Prize 2026, "His Girl, Forwards and Backwards" by @authorgreene.bsky.social. A stunning use of form which creates multiple ways of reading the story: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

“Eventually, the modifier slipped into parentheses—Tom (cat) stopped eating regularly, Tom (man) started scratching himself, Tom (cat) spent too long in the bathroom—before it was dropped altogether” This story by @emilyrinkema.bsky.social is so clever!

The Welkin Press@welkinpress.bsky.social · 8mo ago

HIGHLY COMMENDED in the Welkin Writing Prize 2026, "Time for Tom to Go" by @emilyrinkema.bsky.social. A wonderfully original relationship exploration with so much verve at the level of words: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

“Running too fast & standing too close. Friendly masks & white candy vans” This piece by @onmytangent.bsky.social is so inventive.

The Welkin Press@welkinpress.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Today's shortlisted story is "& men" by @onmytangent.bsky.social. A brilliant list piece with so much momentum and attack: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

Today's shortlisted story is "That Day" by Shofiqure Rahman. A powerful exploration of refugee life: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

That Day | MattKendrick.co.uk

mattkendrick.co.uk

Today's shortlisted story is "weak beans" by Barnaby Wick. A piece which effectively covers so much narrative in such such an original tone of voice: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

weak beans | MattKendrick.co.uk

mattkendrick.co.uk

Me already feeling a bit blue… and picked the wrong time to read this 😭 Anyway, this is a very poignant tale by Jo Withers. You might cry, be warned.

The Welkin Press@welkinpress.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Today's shortlisted story is "The Bit Part Actress" by Jo Withers. A brilliant character study that ironically (given the first sentence) brings its protagonist fully to life: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

My book review of “Mother Karma” by Sumitra Singam @pleomorphic2.bsky.social is up @thehooghlyreview.bsky.social Published by @publishedbyjake.bsky.social thehooghlyreview.com/category/asa...

Today's shortlisted story is "John" by Petra Marteleur. A wonderful slice of weird and whimsical: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

John | MattKendrick.co.uk

mattkendrick.co.uk

“how I tried to shed my innermost parts, coiled heavy and shameful” Vivid and powerful writing by @cake-girl.bsky.social in this amazing piece

The Welkin Press@welkinpress.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Today's shortlisted story is "Because you want to understand, I describe how I once wore suffering on the outside of my body" by @cake-girl.bsky.social. A powerful piece about a difficult topic: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

“Real drifted toward curious, and curious pressed its forehead to the window…” oh, I couldn’t predict where this was going at all. What a fantastic story.

The Welkin Press@welkinpress.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Today's shortlisted story is "Pattern" by David Anson Lee. A micro that uses anadiplosis to such great effect: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

Today's shortlisted story is "On the longest night of the darkest year" by @melissafitz.bsky.social. Such an atmospheric piece: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

On the longest night of the darkest year | MattKendrick.co.uk

mattkendrick.co.uk

Today's shortlisted story is "Things My Brother Explains With Absolute Authority" by J.M.C. Kane. Such a deep and philosophical piece. www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

Things My Brother Explains With Absolute Authority | MattKendrick.co.uk

mattkendrick.co.uk

Late to this fantastic story by @tacilim.bsky.social. Probably for the best cuz I’m a little upset about the fate of Sugar ball 😔

The Welkin Press@welkinpress.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Today's shortlisted story is "Let’s go out again" by @tacilim.bsky.social. Wonderful use of humour and great tone of voice: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stori...

I confess I had to look up if there was a third Hemsworth brother (sorry, Luke), but commiserations to the good man. This is a great story that made me smile. Now why can’t I hallucinate a semi-hot celeb to fix my existential crises?

Sumitra Singam@pleomorphic2.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Maaaates. STOKED to have my piece about the third less-hot Hemsworth in @mrbullbull.bsky.social (his name’s Luke, okay?) Hope you all punch life in the dick too, fair dinkum mrbullbull.com/newbull/flas...

Eeek! I’ve got a drabble up on Rat Bag Lit. This story started out as CNF in the @offtopicpublishing.bsky.social Writers conference and evolved from there.

Rat Bag@ratbaglit.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Today's story is "Melpomene's Mermaid Toothpaste" by T. L. Tomljanvoic. @tomljanovic.bsky.social #ratbag #ratbaglit #litmag #literarymagazine #drabble #drabbles ratbaglit.substack.com/p/melpomenes...

Please join us in congratulating our Best Small Fictions 2026 nominees: @saipradhan.bsky.social, @francinewitte.bsky.social, @laurabesley.bsky.social @writesofkathryn.bsky.social and @happilander.bsky.social 😍 Read their stories here: literarynamjooning.wixsite.com/litnam/proje... #namjooning

DRUM ROLL!!!! 🥁🥁🥁 It gives me great pleasure to announce the SPARKLING longlist for the Welkin Writing Prize 2026. Congratulations to all the writers on this list. And commiserations to everyone else. The standard was incredibly high: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...

Welkin News | MattKendrick.co.uk

A writing prize open to all forms of narrative prose, be that flash fiction, short-short, vignette, haibun, hermit crab, prose poem or work that sits outside such labels.

mattkendrick.co.uk

🚨BIG NEWS!!!!🚨 We are so beyond excited and honored to announce that the wonderful and talented @emilyrinkema.bsky.social is joining the Flash Frog family! 🐸💙

I've been in a funk recently, really worried about the weeks / months ahead; so today, I sent out a newsletter that felt quite vulnerable, & the way the writing community have jumped to my support has as always far exceeded anything I deserve ❤️❤️❤️ prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com/p/starting-t...

Starting the year from the bottom of the slope

I like to think I’m quite a positive person, and the start of the year, for me, usually feels like it amplifies that sense of positivity through its inherent newness, the multiple possibilities lying ...

prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com

Friends, if you have the means to, please do support @mattkendrick.bsky.social by using his (amazing) editing, mentoring or teaching skills or by tipping his kofi. He’s a gem, and he needs our support at the moment prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com?utm_campaign...

Prattlefog & Gravelrap | Matt Kendrick | Substack

A monthly article series about the elements of short fiction: ideas for rocket-boosting your writing craft, reading recommendations, and other writing-related ramblings. Click to read Prattlefog & Gra...

prattlefogandgravelrap.substack.com

Accidentally “Pollocked” a painting trying to revive my dried up Posca markers 🤣

Help us welcome our 2026 Emerging Writer Fellows! We're so excited to work with these five talented writers for the next six months! www.smokelong.com/meet-the-202...

Meet the 2026 SmokeLong Quarterly Emerging Writer Fellows! - SmokeLong Quarterly

This year from January to June we are thrilled to provide The SmokeLong Emerging Writer Fellowship to five talented writers. Each of these writers will receive feedback from three senior SmokeLong edi...

smokelong.com

One, I’ve always wanted a cat (allergic🥲); if I had a cat, I’d want it to judge me in a Scottish accent. Love this funny and poignant story from @emilyrinkema.bsky.social

Emily Rinkema@emilyrinkema.bsky.social · 9mo ago

So excited to have “Indoor Cat” included in this fun issue! trashcatlit.com/indoor-cat/