Matt Kendrick
Writer | Editor | Teacher
Welkin (noun, wel-kən):
the vault of the sky, the heavens, the upper atmosphere, the firmament, the universe
About
The Welkin Writing Prize is a biennial competition for short fiction up to 400 words. It is free to enter and aims to be a welcoming space for all writers. The competition is open to all forms of narrative prose, be that flash fiction, short-short, vignette, haibun, hermit crab, prose poem or work that sits outside such labels. There is a whole universe (or welkin) of possibilities.
**THE MAIN PRIZE ISN'T RUNNING IN 2023 / 24. HOWEVER, I AM INSTEAD RUNNING THE WELKIN MINI FOR MICROS UP TO 100 WORDS**
Sponsors
The prize is only possible thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. The prize will only go ahead in 2025 if the minimum funding target of £600 is reached. We will be looking for sponsorship at all levels. More details on how you can support the prize will be made available in 2024.
The prize is very grateful to everyone who has previously donated to the running of the prize including the following named sponsors:
Diane Gottlieb, Electra Rhodes, Frances Gapper, Free Flash Fiction, Gillian O'Shaughnessy, Kathy Hoyle, Johanna Robinson, Michelle Christophorou, Robert Beary, Ruth Brandt, Stephanie Jane, Writers' HQ
Readers
In 2023, the prize received over 1200 entries from around the world. Reading and judging this number of entries requires a small army of volunteer readers. Details on how to become part of the reading team in 2025 will be made available here.
Readers will be asked to commit to between 5 and 15 hours of reading to be carried out between 27th February and 17th March 2025. They will use a standard set of criteria to evaluate each entry in their reading queue.
This is a voluntary position.
Forenote
Writing competitions can often attract controversy when they don’t live up to the high standards we want to see in our literary community. While I hope to run the competition in the best possible manner, it is inevitable that not everyone will be happy with every detail or decision. Please note the following:
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The competition is run entirely by volunteers.
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Being free to enter, we are unable to offer all the bells and whistles you may want to see.
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For example, we are unable to provide feedback on unsuccessful entries.
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For example, we are unable to send individual emails to (a) confirm receipt of entries, or (b) announce the longlist, shortlist or final results.
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For example, we are unable to pay prize money to authors who don't have a Paypal account or who live in a country where Paypal isn't available. In such cases, we offer an in-kind alternative.
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Please carefully read the rules of the competition prior to entering and only enter if you are in full agreement.
Enter
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Entries will open on the 1st December 2024.
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Simultaneous submissions are accepted. However, please notify the competition organiser if your piece is accepted elsewhere.
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No alterations post-entry will be accepted.
