Flash Fiction Competition
We’re delighted to announce that Lincoln Book Festival’s popular flash fiction competition is back for 2026! And we’re going all-in with this year’s theme – Hobbies.
The festival’s annual creative writing contest invites budding authors to produce their own super short stories of exactly 50 words – no more, no less – on a given theme or genre. This year’s theme is inspired by the National Year of Reading 2026 “Go All In” campaign, designed to help more people across the UK rediscover the joy of reading.
The National Year of Reading is on a mission to halt the decline of reading for pleasure. Go All In aims to encourage people of all ages to move away from feeling pressured to read, by bringing reading to them through their passions and hobbies. By starting with passion, not pressure, the campaign aims to create a stronger, more connected reading culture across the UK.
We’re really excited to see how authors interpret the theme of “Hobbies” this year. Your story could be about an infinite number of different types of hobbies; how a hobby has changed your character’s life; a tale of a hobby gone wrong; how far an obsession with a hobby can take someone; the difference in hobbies between the generations; or maybe even the relationships you make (or break) through taking part in hobbies.
Prizes of £30 in book vouchers are up for grabs for the best story in each age category (as selected by a panel of judges). Categories are:
– Primary (Reception to Year 6)
– Secondary (Year 7 to Year 13)
– Adult (18+ with no upper age limit).
Winners and runners-up will also have their stories published on the festival website with the opportunity to read them aloud to audiences during this year’s festival in October.
Primary and Secondary school classes are particularly encouraged to take part. Resources are below for teachers to help set the creative writing challenge in class. Teachers who take part every year find the Flash Fiction Competition is a great end of term activity! The schools with the winning author in the primary and secondary age categories also receive £50 book tokens, in addition to the winner’s individual prize. Please email competitions@lincolnbookfestival.org for more info on how schools can take part.
Flash Fiction Competition prize winner celebration at Lincoln Book Festival 2025 (photographer – Richard Hall)
Lincoln Book Festival 2026 takes place over four days from Thursday 1st to Sunday 4th October. The full festival programme of inspiring author events, workshops, performances and family-friendly activities will be published this summer, when tickets will also go on sale.
This year we’re accepting applications via a new digital form:
– Click here for the Public Entry Form (single entries)
– Click here for the School Entry Form (up to 30 students’ entries per form)
The closing date for submissions is midnight on Monday 24th August 2026.
If you would prefer to enter via the original PDF entry form, this is also available to download below. For anyone who would find it more accessible to apply via a video or audio application please email competitions@lincolnbookfestival.org and we can arrange to accept your application in a way that best suits your needs.
Lincoln Book Festival Flash Fiction Competition 2026 Terms and Conditions are also below, along with this year’s Teachers’ Resource Pack and classroom entry form, and the Public Entry Form for anyone unable to use the online form.
Flash Fiction Teacher Resource Pack 2026
School Entry Form – Flash Fiction Competition 2026
Terms and Conditions Lincoln Book Festival Flash Fiction Competition 2026
Public Entry Form – Flash Fiction Competition 2026
