2020 National Flash Fiction Day

Announcing the 2020 Winners!

You can find all winning stories published at

Flash Frontier: An Adventure in Small Fiction.

ADULT

FIRST

Best friends by Jenna Heller, Christchurch

SECOND

The gulls, or maybe the rats by Mary Francis, Wellington

THIRD

Last call by Tim Saunders, Palmerston North

Highly Commended 

Back talk by Mary Francis, Wellington

Sam’s nana by Caroline Barron, Auckland

The hole by Michele Powles, West Auckland

Commended

All aboard by Liz Breslin, Dunedin

Instructions for lockdown by Himali McInnes, Auckland

The westerly by Tim Saunders, Palmerston North

REGIONAL AWARDS

Sponsored by New Zealand Society of Authors regional branches

Canterbury: Jenna Heller

Wellington: Mary Francis

Central Districts: Tim Saunders

Auckland: Caroline Barron

Otago: Liz Breslin

Hamilton: Abigail Marshall

Northland: Vera Dong

  

* * *

YOUTH

FIRST

Exhaust by Minha Choi, age 17, South Korea

 

SECOND

 Fish Hook Scars by Derrin Smith, age 16, Rangiora, NZ

THIRD

The Ballad of Light by Natalie Wang, age 17, Texas, US

and

Dragon Rider by Denika Mead, age 16, Lower Hutt, NZ

Highly Commended

Do You Remember by Phoebe Robertson, age 18, Wellington, NZ

These are my leaves by Samuel Turner-O’Keefe, age 18, Auckland, NZ

Commended

The Beans by Cadence Chung (16, Wellington)

On One Particular MRT Ride by Thee Sim Ling (13, Singapore)

Sugar High by Amanda Kay (15, California)

* * * 

The 2020 Short List

All aboard – Liz Breslin, Dunedin

Astronauts – Russell Boey, Christchurch

Backtalk – Mary Francis, Wellington

Best friends – Jenna Heller, Christchurch

Carrots – Michele Powles, West Auckland

Disentanglement – Abigail Marshall, Hamilton

Facts about drowning (some of which are true) – Michelle Matheson, Auckland

Instructions for lockdown – Himali McInnes, Auckland

Last call – Tim Saunders, Palmerston North

Off centre – Margaret Moores, Auckland

Sam’s nana – Caroline Barron, Auckland

The gulls or maybe the rats – Mary Francis, Wellington

The hole – Michele Powles, West Auckland

The westerly – Tim Saunders, Palmerston North

Walnuts – Jenna Heller, Christchurch

*

The NFFD 2020 Long List (alphabetical by title)

Please go here for the 2020 Youth Long List.

<-Thread#CripsWestAuks – Hayden Pyke, Hamilton

A sniper’s memoir – Andrea Ewing, Auckland

All aboard – Liz Breslin, Dunedin

Anzac on Albert St – Donna Young, Dunedin

Astronauts – Russell Boey, Christchurch

At the bank – Rebecca Styles, Wellington

Backtalk – Mary Francis, Wellington

Best friends – Jenna Heller, Christchurch

Blossom in deep winter – Vera Dong, Kerikeri

Burning up – Aimee-Jane Anderson-O’Connor, Hamilton

Carrots – Michele Powles, West Auckland

Catch water, hold fire – Claire Beynon, Dunedin

Disentanglement – Abigail Marshall, Hamilton

Down – Michele Powles, West Auckland

Facts about drowning – Michelle Matheson, Auckland

Home for the funeral – Tim Saunders, Palmerston North

Homeless – Trisha Hanifin, Auckland

I’m looking at my empty city but my empty city isn’t looking back – Anne Perkinson, Whangarei

Instructions for lockdown – Himali McInnes, Auckland

Last call – Tim Saunders, Palmerston North

Lichen, a successful colonizer in hostile environments – Gail Ingram, Christchurch

Like two coats in a station’s waiting room – Norman P. Franke, Hamilton

Losing it – Andrea Ewing, Auckland

Love in the time of wī – Gail Ingram, Christchurch

No nest for baby bird – Heather McQuillan, Christchurch

Off centre – Margaret Moores, Auckland

Out in the wops – Hayden Pyke, Hamilton

Sam’s nana – Caroline Barron Auckland and Northland

Seeing wrong – Faith Oxenbridge, Otautahi

Shotgun – Mary Francis, Wellington

The gulls or maybe the rats – Mary Francis, Wellington

The hole – Michele Powles, West Auckland

The westerly – Tim Saunders, Palmerston North

This too shall pass – Ravithri de Silva, Invercargill and Wellington

Took the dog, visited the sea – Madeleine Child, Dunedin

Walnuts – Jenna Heller, Christchurch

Wellington bites – Susan Maclean, Auckland