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About the 2024 NFFD Youth Competition:
- Submission period: 18 March to 30 April 2024
- Unthemed; previously unpublished work only
- Long lists announced in mid-May, shortlists in late May, winners on National Flash Fiction Day, June 22
- Winners and short-listed work will be published in a special edition of fingers comma toes
About the guest judge: 
Ya-Wen Ho is a letterpress printmaker, graphic designer, and poet living in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. A Taipei-born New Zealander, she works bilingually between Mandarin and English, merging the two languages in performance. Her first book of poetry last edited [insert time here] was published by Tinfish Press (Hawaii, 2012). Literary awards include a Horoeka/Lancewood Reading Grant (2015) and the Ema Saiko Poetry Fellowship at New Zealand Pacific Studio (2016).
Submission guidelines (see General Rules for further details):
- What to submit:
- Short stories/prose up to 300 words excluding title
- Only previously unpublished work will be considered (see General Rules)
- Open competition; no theme or prompt
- Maximum 3 stories per entrant; please include submissions in one document
- How to submit:
- Submit through email at fingerscommatoes[at]gmail[dot]com
- Submit stories as one document
- Do not include author’s name or contact info on the submitted document, as submissions are judged blind (name may be included in the email or in any enquiries made to fingers comma toes)
- Send submissions as an attachment in one of the following formats: .txt, .doc, .docx, .rtf; please, no pdfs or Google Docs
- Who can submit:
- Entrants can be up to age 18 (for those 19 or older, please see nationalflash.org/competition)
- Competition is open to international entrants
- Family members of current judges are not eligible to enter the competition
The entries will be read by fingers comma toes editors with guest judge, Ya-Wen Ho. Judges’ decisions are final; no feedback will be offered on an individual basis. Winners and short-listed work will be published in a special edition of fingers comma toes.
General Rules:
- NFFD and fingers comma toes reserve the right at their total discretion to reject any entry in the Competition and to verify the validity of any entry or vote. All decisions of this competition shall be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- Entries must be original, previously unpublished pieces of work written by the person who submits the piece of work. Published means anything that has already appeared anywhere in print or online, including personal websites or blogs.
- Entries cannot be altered or changed after they have been submitted.
- NFFD accepts no responsibility for late, lost or misdirected entries.
- NFFD is unable to return submitted entries. Entrants are advised to keep a copy of their entry for their records.
- The judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The judges reserve the right to not award prizes, based on their judgment of the quality of submissions.
- Family members of current judges are not eligible to enter the competition
- Winners will be announced June 22 at the NFFD award ceremonies and all winners are invited to attend and share their stories in their province NFFD 2019 celebrations held in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Northland, Waikato and Wellington.
- A selection of entries will be published in a special winter edition of Flash Frontier: An Adventure in Short Fiction. Writers retain the copyright to their submitted short story regardless of whether or not it is chosen for publication. NFFD and fingers comma toes retain unlimited use of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Short Story (all categories) for an unlimited period of time for any promotion or publication.
- The winners’ names, entry details, biographical information and photographs may be required by NFFD/ fingers comma toes and will be used for publicity/promotional purposes without compensation. Entrants consent to this use of their details by entering the competition.
- The NFFD association, its committee members and its related agencies shall not be liable for any loss, damage or injury suffered or sustained (including but not limited to direct or consequential loss or loss arising from negligence) arising directly out of or in connection with the competition or any prize.
Entry constitutes acceptance of all National Flash Fiction Day Competition Rules and Guidelines.
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