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.
Our annual 50-word Flash Fiction Writing competition 2026 will be launched on Monday 19 January when we will be announcing the theme. You will have until Friday 13 February to submit your entries.
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.
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. Previous themes have included: Love, Home, Spring, Space, Secrets, Journeys, If Only, Our World, Light and Voices.
We received 487 entries across five categories in 2025.
A panel of local writers and creative writing specialists will judge the entries and there are prizes! There is one winner from each category 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
Their 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.
You can read the 2025 winning stories here.
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