There are 137 flash fictions in this, our ninth yearly anthology — the long listed, short listed and winning pieces from the three 2024 Bath Flash Fiction Awards. Dip in or read all the way through. You’ll find much variety and extraordinary linguistic feats, in these stories, all 300 words and under by writers from all over the world.

“I’m in awe of the flash fiction pieces I read, the idea, the crafting of the story, the structure and how these stories got such a variety of reactions from me. A sharp intake of breath, a few tears, a nodding of the head, a smile…”
— Susmita Bhattacharya, author of Table Manners (February Award judge)

“This was a rich set of flash fictions, and they required reading several times before the ones that stuck started to emerge – because so many were memorable. I have so enjoyed considering the many virtues of all of them.”
— Michelle Elvy, author of the everrumble (June Award judge).

“Flash fiction presents such a wide range of possibilities in terms of narrative, character, tone and form, and the writers of these pieces have made full use of these.”
— Matt Kendrick, writer, editor and teacher (October Award judge).

Paperback ISBN 978-1-915247-66-7; 133mm x 203mm; 172pp

£10.99 GBP

The eighth yearly anthology of stories from the thrice-yearly Bath Flash Fiction Awards. 134 fantastically varied flash fictions of 300 words or under. Dip in to be surprised, astonished and inspired. Our judges said the following:

“…a compendium of so many gorgeous tiny tales, varied in styles, in subject matter, in approach, in geography, in history.”
Sudha Balagopal, judge for the February Award and author of the Novella in Flash Things We Can’t Tell Amma

“…many stories beautifully structured and beautifully written; some evoked powerful and/or tragic historical events; several found new and clever ways to harbour time-worn human truths and experimented with form and language in ingenious, original ways.”
Tim Craig, judge for the June Award and author of the flash fiction collection Now You See Him

“I spent a long while…holding my breath as I read, reveling in the wide range of characterizations, voices, settings, and structures.”
Sara Hills, judge for the October Award and author of the flash fiction collection, The Evolution of Birds

Paperback ISBN 978-1-915247-54-4; 133mm x 203mm; 170pp

£11.99 GBP

The seventh Bath Flash Fiction anthology, Dandelion Years, contains brilliant flash fictions of 300 words or under by 132 winning and listed writers in the three international awards in 2022. Many different subjects and themes are covered. Read these stories to be inspired by this exciting, challenging and experimental short-short prose form by writers from many countries around the world.

The Bath Flash Fiction Award judges said:

“I was presented with a long list filled with amazing stories. I loved every single one, so whittling down to twenty for a short list felt like an impossible task.”
~Karen Jones, writer, editor and teacher from the UK.

“The long list provided excellent examples of how stories can start and how they can grip a reader through conflict, through character, through precise and beautiful language.”
~Tommy Dean, writer, editor and teacher from the US.

“There was something to admire in every story on that long list, and the selection was brilliantly varied – some made me laugh, some made me think in a different way, some took a piece of my heart, while others made me swoon at their boldness and originality.”
~Emily Devane, writer, editor and teacher from the UK.

Paperback ISBN 978-1-915247-10-0; 133mm x 203mm; 168pp

£11.99 GBP

The sixth yearly Bath Flash Fiction Award anthology contains 136 flash fictions, all 300 words or under from the three rounds of the Awards in 2021. Inside, you’ll find heart-felt pieces about the state of the world, others that focus on the intricacies of relationships with friends, family and lovers. The writing style often surprises and there are many exciting experiments with form. It’s an excellent and varied selection of stories by writers from all over the world.

“After reading through the long list, I was reminded why the anthology is a gift to anyone who loves to read flash fiction…Some pieces drew me into the world of the story right away with a compelling first line or memorable detail. Others sneaked up on me, starting out quietly then surprising me with a turn that left me thinking, thinking, thinking.”
~ Charmaine Wilkerson, judge of the February, 2021 Award and author of How to Make a Window Snake, Ad Hoc Fiction, 2017.

“You encounter risky, raw stories that promise to leave you changed; love-at-first-sight stories full of confident verve; ones that have an allure through their use of language; quietly persuasive stories, confident in their low-key power; there are stories to admire for their elegance and beauty, and ones that raise a smile with their quirky charm.”
~ K. M. Elkes, judge of the June 2021 Award and author of All That Is Between Us, Ad Hoc Fiction 2019.

“All the stories here would find applauded homes in magazines… pieces that take the risk to step out on to the high wire… dreamscapes and dystopias, unheard perspectives and hidden inner dialogues, reworked fairy-tales and school play rebellions, the unexpected significance of custard, an earthquake on the page.”
~ Sharon Telfer, judge of the October 2021 Award and author of The Map Waits, Reflex Press, 2021.

Paperback ISBN 978-1-915247-00-1; 133mm x 203mm; 156pp

£11.99 GBP

Our fifth yearly anthology contains micro fictions by writers from all over the world. 136 stories covering many subjects and themes – some focussing on dramas within family relationships, some politically themed or about war, others spanning whole life times and longer. All in 300 words and under – the real, the surreal and the experimental. So much inventiveness and so much to read and enjoy.

“Reading the fifty long listed flashes I received, I knew these stories were – are – loved by their authors. But they were also so much more than that. Each story had its own distinct quality, its own voice, its own style and structure. Each had sentences I underlined and words I circled. Not knowing what I was looking for, I found everything.”
~Santino Prinzi, author of This Alone Could Save Us

“… I read a lot of flash and when I read the BFFA long list I thought there had to be some mistake, I must be reading the short list instead of the long list, so high was the quality of the work I was looking at. This made the judging process incredibly enjoyable on the one hand – to see so much variety, so much stimulating and original work, a wonderful willingness to experiment, and on the other hand, so difficult to choose.”
~Mary Jane Holmes, author of Don’t Tell the Bees

“It’s been a pleasure reading these pieces, the quality indicates how well contributors craft their stories, producing shining gems of literature that demonstrate this genre is not alone alive and well, but thriving. The range of topics and styles on offer show practitioners of this form can still find something fresh, or interpret ideas in a novel way.”
~Nod Ghosh, author of Filthy Sucre

Paperback, ISBN 978-1-912095-10-0, 133mm x 203mm, 262 pages.

£12.99 GBP

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This anthology, the fourth from the Bath Flash Fiction Awards, contains 137 micro fictions of 300 words or under by writers from all over the world. The stories cover many topics: relationships in all their forms, familiar, strange, tragic or benign; war and displacement; the climate emergency; historical subjects; the fantastical and surreal. So many different styles and themes. So much to enjoy, make you think, and inspire you to write your own stories.

“From lush description to plot surprises to current events and complicated relationships of all kinds… a wonderful cross-section of flash fiction.”
~Nancy Stohlman, author of Madam Velvet’s Cabaret of Oddities

“There’s humor and pathos in these stories, conventional plots alongside innovative structures… personal stories and those concerning larger cultural themes.”
~Christopher Allen author of Other Household Toxins

“A real cornucopia of flash skills…all sparking joy.”
~Vanessa Gebbie author of The Coward’s Tale

Paperback; ISBN 978-1-912095-85-8; 196mm x 134mm; 194pp

£9.99 GBP
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133 short short fictions selected from the winners, short listed, and long listed authors from the three rounds of the 2018 international Bath Flash Fiction Awards. All 300 words and under, these stories are by writers representing over twenty different countries. Experimental fictions exploring many different themes and subjects which show the variety possible in his exciting and continually developing genre.

“Writers flowed but did not meander. I went to places I haven’t been before, and I was shown ordinary objects in a different light, heard language used in a new way, smelled new smells, felt new feelings.”
Tara L. Masih, novelist, short story writer, editor of The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction, author of My Real Name Is Hanna

“A fascinating dip into the psyche of creative writers at this point in time… lots of examples of great writing here, by great writers.”
David Gaffney, novelist and short story writer. Author of More Sawn-Off Tales, All The Places I’ve Ever Lived, The Three Rooms in Valerie’s Head

“The standard was high… powerful writing and interesting themes… a feeling that many writers were working hard and pulling from deep resources.”
Nuala O’Connor, novelist, poet and short story writer. Author of Joy Ride to Jupiter, Miss Emily and Becoming Belle

Paperback; ISBN 978-1-912095-63-6; 196mm x 134mm; 168pp

£9.99 GBP
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One hundred and thirty-five flash fiction stories from world-wide authors selected from the long lists of the three Bath Flash Fiction Awards in 2017. These dazzling fictions, all 300 words or under, give us fresh insights into world wide concerns – from relationship issues and domestic situations tender or fraught, to war torn landscapes and the plight of the dispossessed. So much is compressed into so few words. So much will linger after reading.

“The stories were of a very high standard…I’m so impressed with how organized and efficient all of the Bath contests appear to be. The production of a beautiful anthology from the contest long list is also very impressive…”
—Kathy Fish, author of Together We Can Bury It and co-author of RIFT.

“I could not believe how many powerful stories I read in the long list of fifty stories. It was very difficult to select the short list of twenty and then to choose the winners.”
—Meg Pokrass, author of Bird Envy, Damn Sure Right and The Dog Looks Happy Upside Down.

“Every single flash I received possessed qualities I admired and envied…I marvelled at the form’s ability to permit such a range of approaches – from slices-of-life to epic narration to poetic experiments and beyond…”
—David Swann, author of Stronger, Faster, Shorter and The Privilege of Rain.

Paperback; ISBN 978-1-912095-69-8; 196mm x 134mm; 160pp

£9.99 GBP
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One hundred and forty-five very short stories, by authors from eleven different countries, that tell of life in today’s world. From perilous journeys and strange encounters to tales of love of loss, the stories challenge, linger after reading and evoke the full range of emotions. So much is covered in these page long pieces.

“unique landscapes, with unusual words, startling sentence fragments and odd characters… remarkably crafted stories… truly international with heartfelt prose, playful poetics and taking literary risks”
—Robert Vaughan, writer, poet and editor, author of Addicts & Basements and co-author of RIFT.

Paperback, ISBN 978-1-912095-00-1, 196mm x 134mm; 160pp

£9.99 GBP
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