Chalk Circle
Short Story Competition
2026
We are delighted to announce our shortlist for this year's competition. Many congratulations to the successful writers and good luck in the next stage of the competition. The final prize winning and commended stories will be announced in November 2026.
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As short story enthusiasts, with three anthologies in print, Chalk Circle invited writers to send us their own ‘slim fiction’, for the chance to win a cash prize and to see their story published online.
We asked for concise, dramatic writing, with an engaging plot, and good story telling above all else – we were not disappointed.
The judges have selected the following stories (in alphabetical order, by story title).
​​​A Blanket, But No Umbrella by D.M. Tomlinson
The Cabbage Rabbit
Kevin Lymer
The Weight Of It
Twist Phelan
Until the Sun Goes Down
Steff Morgan
Void
Terry Kerins​​
The winners of the 1500 Short Fiction Category will receive £200 and the winner of the
360 Circular Flash Fiction Category will receive £50.
Both winning stories will be published on our website.
For the Love of Mackerel
Hilary Smith
House Rules
Lana Dove
Landscape
Rebecca Kinnarney
My Daughter’s Desperate for a Dog but Her Mother’s a Cat Person
Chris Cottom
Sorry Sorry
Twist Phelan
The Asymmetry of Truth
Sam Austrums
The Fire That Never Dies
Ahmet Ersozlu