Matt Kendrick
Writer | Editor | Teacher
Welkin (noun, wel-kən):
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the vault of the sky, the heavens, the upper atmosphere, the firmament, the universe
About
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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.
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**THE MAIN PRIZE ISN'T RUNNING IN 2023 / 24. HOWEVER, I AM INSTEAD RUNNING THE WELKIN MINI FOR MICROS UP TO 100 WORDS**
Sponsors
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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.
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The prize is very grateful to everyone who has previously donated to the running of the prize including the following named sponsors:
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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
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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.
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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.
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This is a voluntary position.
Mailing List
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If you'd like updates about The Welkin Writing Prize, why not join my mailing list?
Forenote
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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.
