I was very lucky to win the “Care” contest with what was a very difficult-to-write story about my mom. Thank you to @fionamckay.bsky.social for selecting my piece. It took 20 years to understand how to write it. ♥️ #writesky #cnf #writing #writingcontest #creativenonfiction

Five Minutes@fiveminutelit.bsky.social · last wk.

"Taking Care" by @emhall47.bsky.social whose prose appears/is forthcoming in places such as Passages North, 100 Word Story, FlashFlood Journal, Gooseberry Pie Lit, Bending Genres, The Disappointed Housewife, and more. "Taking Care" won our CARE contest, judged by @fionamckay.bsky.social

"Taking Care" by @emhall47.bsky.social whose prose appears/is forthcoming in places such as Passages North, 100 Word Story, FlashFlood Journal, Gooseberry Pie Lit, Bending Genres, The Disappointed Housewife, and more. "Taking Care" won our CARE contest, judged by @fionamckay.bsky.social

Read this beautifully constructed story by the inimitable @sarahillswrites.bsky.social - how is this only 300 words??? Sara conjures the vast hinterland of multiple countries and a marriage in this fabulous piece of writing!! 🎉🎉🎉

bathflashaward.bsky.social@bathflashaward.bsky.social · last mo.

Congratulations Sara Hills Highly Commended In our 33rd Award www.bathflashfictionaward.com/2026/06/high...

Delighted to make the Longlist for the Wigleaf top 50 ❤️ Thanks to @trashcatlit.bsky.social for publishing my story and @sudhab.bsky.social for all the hard work on the @wigleaf.bsky.social top 50

@ronanhession.bsky.social You’re making me buy books!! (Looks great, I’ve just started it)

'In the staffroom, Kate plugs in a fan which swings from side to side, moving the stale air around.' A BRIEF HISTORY OF ATOMIC TIME by @fionamckay.bsky.social @natflashfictionday.bsky.social #fiction #microfiction #nffd2026 #writingcommunity flashfloodjournal.blogspot.com/2026/06/a-br...

Not me, sobbing at my desk over this one, @judehwriter2.bsky.social 😭 Beautifully judged emotion here ❤️

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'Nothing to speak of' by Jude Higgins #nffd2026

Sharp, relatable writing from Fiona 💜 "does she need to worry about her pension or will the world have ended?"

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'A Brief History of Atomic Time' by Fiona McKay #nffd2026

'The orange drips juice and her fingers are sticky on her phone as she calculates the number of seconds in a week.' Brilliant, @fionamckay.bsky.social! (Was this inspired by me waiting for a response to a submitted story?😂)

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'A Brief History of Atomic Time' by Fiona McKay #nffd2026

Rage against the dying of the light!! Love this, @kateaxeford.bsky.social 🕺

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'The Real Sound of Music, Hillview Rest Home, August 1992' by Kate Axeford #nffd2026

“She feels every single oscillation. Balances the needs of her students, and her desire for a promotion.” Brilliance from @fionamckay.bsky.social in @natflashfictionday.bsky.social ⚛️🧡🧡🧡

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'A Brief History of Atomic Time' by Fiona McKay #nffd2026

We all know days like these! Spend an atomic second or two to read this from @fionamckay.bsky.social #amreading #nffd2026

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'A Brief History of Atomic Time' by Fiona McKay #nffd2026

Oof, hit us with that 6, Nick!! Such a beautiful way to tell this story… @fuzzynick.bsky.social

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: '6' by Nick Black #nffd2026

This ⬇️⬇️⬇️ ⏱️🍊⚛️ 'She feels every single oscillation.' We do too! Check out 'A Brief History of Atomic Time' by @fionamckay.bsky.social in @natflashfictionday.bsky.social

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'A Brief History of Atomic Time' by Fiona McKay #nffd2026

‘She reads about the transition between two hyperfine levels of the ground state of this atom.’ Fabulous writing by @fionamckay.bsky.social

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'A Brief History of Atomic Time' by Fiona McKay #nffd2026

Beautiful layers of metaphor here, swimming is from despair to hope 😍 @rosaleenlynch.bsky.social

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'The Five Stages of Ecological Grief' by Rosaleen Lynch #nffd2026

"The effect of waiting on the passage of time should be studied." That's a really damn profound line. Nice. Excellent, expansive flash from @fionamckay.bsky.social

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'A Brief History of Atomic Time' by Fiona McKay #nffd2026

WOW! 'A Brief History of Atomic Time' by @fionamckay.bsky.social published on NFFD's #flashflood Fiona won 1st prize in our #flashfiction competition in 2021 for her brilliant story 'Glass', and this one is another triumph. Nice one Fiona! #nffd2026 flashfloodjournal.blogspot.com/2026/06/a-br...

Marvellous, as ever, @sagreene1.bsky.social

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'Three Cows: Midsummer Reflections in the Up-Meadow' by S A Greene #nffd2026

@pleomorphic2.bsky.social takes us to the line in this visceral piece - but thus far shall we go and no further 😢

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'All the Ways We Died' by Sumitra Singam #nffd2026

Love this sensual piece by @tomljanovic.bsky.social with perfectly placed details!!

National Flash Fiction Day@natflashfictionday.bsky.social · 2mo ago

FlashFlood: 'Smoke, Clacking, Bitter, Spaghetti Squash' by T.L. Tomljanovic #nffd2026

flashfloodjournal.blogspot.com/2026/06/a-br... Big thanks to @natflashfictionday.bsky.social for publishing this little slice of time 🕰️⏱️⏰

Stop and read this great piece by @deniseb.bsky.social with wild boars and animal insight! 🐗🐗🐗

Denise Bayes@deniseb.bsky.social · 2mo ago

So pleased to be published in Ghost Parachute at long last. Thank you to my flash Amigas @fionamckay.bsky.social @sagreene1.bsky.social @sgscarso.bsky.social and @itssonoemi.bsky.social ghostparachute.com/issue/june-2...

Huge thanks to @irishwriterscentre.bsky.social for this exciting opportunity ❤️ I’m so looking forward to spending time with Niamh, Patrick and @byddi.bsky.social

Irish Writers Centre@irishwriterscentre.bsky.social · 2mo ago

In partnership with Varuna National Writers' House, we're delighted to announce the writers selected for the fourth year of the International Lamplight Fellowship Programme: Niamh Boyce, Patrick Chapman, @byddi.bsky.social & @fionamckay.bsky.social. irishwriterscentre.ie/announcing-o...

Judges Natalie Wong (Sting), @mspicone.bsky.social (Friends & Friendship), and @fionamckay.bsky.social (Care) want your micromemoirs! 5 minutes 100 words! fiveminutelit.com/marathon

Hey Autistic friends - if you have taken a course with @thrivingautistic.bsky.social hop on here and give them your vote at the National Diversity Awards 🗳️

Thriving Autistic@thrivingautistic.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Have you valued the work by Thriving Autistic? We would appreciate your support with our nomination for the National Diversity Awards 2026 Voting has now been extended until 20th May Vote here: www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2026/...

Order, Order!! And read Ani’s post to see why I say you you have to…

Ani King (they/them)@aniking.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Psssst… hi… c’mere for a sec… Direct preorders are open for physical copies of Family Night now :D masonjarpress.com/chapbooks-1/...

Hey, micro-memoir writers!! Competition coming up in @fiveminutelit.bsky.social and I’m one of the judges - my theme is Care, so if you have something to write on that topic, Submit!!!

Five Minutes@fiveminutelit.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Judges 19, 20, 21: Meredith Chiwenkpe Asuru is a writer & epidemiologist of Ikwerre descent. @victoriawrites.bsky.social is a translator, writing instructor & writer from Ecuador living in Connecticut. @fionamckay.bsky.social is author of The Lives of the Dead, The Top Road & Drawn and Quartered.

ICYMI

Fiona McKay@fionamckay.bsky.social · 3mo ago

www.cleavermagazine.com/a-conversati... Thanks so much to @anchalastudio.bsky.social for the thoughtful interview process and to Autumn Konopka at Cleaver Magazine ❤️

www.cleavermagazine.com/a-conversati... Thanks so much to @anchalastudio.bsky.social for the thoughtful interview process and to Autumn Konopka at Cleaver Magazine ❤️

A CONVERSATION WITH FIONA MCKAY, AUTHOR OF THE LIVES OF THE DEAD, by Anne Anthony • Cleaver Magazine

Interview by Anne Anthony A CONVERSATION WITH FIONA MCKAY, AUTHOR OF THE LIVES OF THE DEAD (Ad Hoc Fiction) Based in Dublin, Ireland, Fiona McKay is a lawyer-turned-author who has become a prolific wr...

cleavermagazine.com