Our fifty-word Flash Fiction Writing competition has been organised each year since the Festival’s inception. Each year we choose a different theme - one that can be broadly interpreted - and ask you to write an original story of up to fifty words.
The competition is now closed for 2026. This year's competition was kindly sponsored by Derventio Education, who create education software solutions which are used by schools, colleges and universities across the world. We received over 300 entries across five categories. The winners will be contacted by the end of March
Our fifty-word Flash Fiction Writing competition has been organised each year since the Festival’s inception. Each year we choose a different theme - one that can be broadly interpreted - and ask you to write an original story of up to fifty words. This year's theme was 'Hope'. Other themes have been: Voices, Love, Home, Spring, Space, Secrets, Journeys, If Only, Our World and Light.
It’s FREE to enter - and you can enter as many times as you’d like. Just remember to stick to no more than 50 words!
There are three age categories:
11 and under
12-17
18 and over.
We also have categories for HMP Foston Hall and HMP Sudbury.
A panel of local writers and creative writing specialists will judge the entries and there are prizes! There is one winner from each age category (under 11s, 12-17, over 18s) and the prizes each winner will receive are:
A £50 book token
The winning story printed on a bookmark that will promote our next Festivals
The story will be published on the Derby Book Festival website
An illustration student at the University of Derby will design an illustration for each story as part of a separate competition for the students.
This year's winning stories will be available on our website after all the winners have been informed. For more information and to find out when the competition opens next year, sign up to receive our e-shot so you don't miss our news.
A story in 50 words ...
So, the trick is to produce a complete story or narrative in up to 50 words (title excluded).
Ideally, it should be pithy, moving, enlightening, sweet, uplifting, dark or in some subtle way interesting.
“Well, that shouldn’t present much of a challenge to a person of my …”
If you would like to enter the competition but are unsure about writing Flash Fiction, just download our pdf file for some useful hints and tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How many times can I enter?
You can enter as many stories as you can write – and many people do!
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Does my story have to be exactly 50 words long?
The word limit is up to 50 words. In the past we asked for stories of exactly 50 words but we changed this. So long as you don’t exceed 50 words, you’ll be able to submit your stories. Do note that hyphenated words count as one word and other punctuation can affect the word count so you may need to play around with your wording to get it right. Most people have a go at drafting their stories first in a package such as Microsoft Word and check the number of words using the 'word count' function. You can then cut and paste your finished story into the online application form.
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What is the deadline?
You have until Friday 13th February at 10pm to get your stories in. The winning stories in each category will receive a £50 book token and have their stories printed on Festival bookmarks. To find out more and submit your 50-word story, click here.
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When will I know whether I have won?
We will contact all winners in March to let them know their story has won. If you haven’t heard by the end of March, sorry but you have been unlucky this time.