Click here for information about Flash Fiction 2008!
(Deadline: Friday, Feb. 8)

The Randall Library annually hosts a Flash Fiction contest. Each year a small committee representing faculty from the sponsoring departments gathers to select a topic, judging criteria, awards, and a timeline.

The contest guidelines and topic are announced at the start of the competition, typically on a Monday. Entries are due in printed format by the following Friday at 5 PM. Judges receive all entries and begin the judging process.

The winning entries are next taken to a participating course in the Art & Art History department. Students there are given an optional assignment (for credit) to select one of the winning entries and illustrate it. Students are given two to three weeks to complete this.

Next, artwork is mounted on foamcore. Digital prints of the essays are enlarged, printed, and likewise mounted. These pieces are all displayed in a gallery in the library. A reception is hosted by the library to annouce the winners of the Flash Fiction contest and celebrate the opening of the gallery. Prizes and accolades are given at this time.

The contest is popular with students because it is only one-week long and does not interfere with semester-long projects. The concept of "flash" is to produce a short piece of creative art in a short period of time. As such, in addition to the contest term being only one week, the entries are a maximum of 500 words. And of course, the love the chance to win a cash prize.

Last year, winning Flash Fiction pieces and accompanying artwork were bound in a student-press publication at UNCW. The editing students participated as a semester-long for-credit project. The final press was about 60 copies. More are on order from an external publishing house (because the students in charge have finished their semester course work). The library assigned an ISBN number to this publication and will distribute copies to the Library of Congress and administrators at UNCW and its 15 sister campuses.

if you would like more information about the Flash Fiction contest, as a participant or otherwise, please contact Ameet Doshi at doshia at uncw dot edu.

 

Last Update: January 30, 2008