Call for submissions!
Join The Florentine and Florence Literary Society for a flash fiction contest to capture the essence of Florence in 150 words or fewer through one of three lenses:
Beyond the facade
Florence is a city with many faces: polished marble, detailed fresco, the picture-perfect postcard (or selfie). But what lies behind these polished faces, between the cracks and underneath the mask?
Directions: moving or getting lost
Every turn can be a detour or a discovery. Florence has seen multitudes make the city their home, navigate the streets for a day or two, or lose themselves. Let your characters wander through alleys, choices or memories.
It’s a new season
Each new season brings a change of light and rhythm, an opportunity for growth and renewal. Whether it’s spring rain on old stone or a shift no one else can see, show us what’s changing, transforming, beginning or ending.
Submission guidelines
- Each story must hold a connection to Florence, whether real or reimagined.
- Submissions open from November 1 to midnight January 15, 2026.
- Each submission should be no longer than 150 words.
- All submissions should be anonymous and presented in Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced. Do not include your name on the submission document.
- It is free to submit using the submittable entry form.
- You can submit up to one entry per category.
- The long list will be announced at a Florence Literary Society event in February and winners will be considered for publication in The Florentine March 2026 issue.
- Prizes await!
President of Florence Literary Society, Lori Hetherington, explains more:
The origins of flash fiction can be traced back to fables and parables, such as the fables of Aesop, that reveal a truth or moral lesson through metaphor in the form of a very short story. While writers have been producing pieces that we might recognize as flash fiction since as early as the 19th century, publication in the early 1990s of a landmark anthology titled Flash Fiction: 72 Very Short Stories (W.W. Norton & Company, 1992) paved the way for this form to be considered an actual genre.
Nowadays, there seem to be more opinions about the number of words allowed for a piece of writing to be called flash fiction than the actual word count in many of the best-known examples such as “Big bang. No God. Fadeout. End.” by Stephen Baxter.
Indeed, flash fiction can range from a minimum of six words, like in the example above (also known as micro-fiction), all the way up to 1,500; the word count is frequently determined by a literary journal, editor or competition rules. What doesn’t change is that a complete story, with a clear plot and complex themes—just like with any piece of fiction—needs to fit within the defined constraints. We can think of flash fiction as a literary form of super concentrated laundry detergent, pigment-rich saffron threads, or the microchip that controls your smartphone. Power is inversely proportional to size.
Tips for writing flash fiction
Include only one or two characters.
Think small: deal with a single conflict or problem.
There’s no setup to the story; just dive in and trust that your reader will follow.
Make every sentence count by using descriptive, concise language; don’t shy away from symbolism or figurative language.
Beware of unnecessary adverbs and prepositions.
Include a surprise or plot twist, especially effective at the end.
Keep the timeline tight.
As plot and theme are key and the limited word count necessitates stripping the story down to bare bones, the pressure of artful prose is lifted from the writer’s shoulders. And although it can be challenging at first, it’s a great writing exercise that can be playful, amusing and creative.
The Flash Fiction Competition by The Florentine and Florence Literary Society is your chance to create short, short stories, and maybe even see yours in print.
Flash fiction: a sample
They met by chance on a street corner and walked together, in silence, down an empty road. She kept a proper distance, though something about the stranger quietly drew her in. The language barrier only deepened the mystery surrounding this man of uncertain origin—his gaze was made of snow, forest, and fresh moss.
When they reached the station, he paused and stepped closer. She allowed herself to be wrapped in a fleeting embrace, a few seconds charged with passion.
He waved goodbye and turned away, his steps moving quickly down the platform. She watched as he seemed to fade. His form began to dissolve, like mist sinking into the ground, until he was nothing more than a translucent shadow. Perhaps, he had never truly existed.
Panicked, she ran after him. But by then, he was only a puddle, dripping slowly between the rails.
By Andrea Zurlo
Flash fiction workshop
Join the Florence Literary Society and The Florentine for a Flash Fiction Workshop inspired by the ongoing contest we’re organizing, which invites writers to capture the essence of Florence in 150 words or fewer.
Explore the craft of concise storytelling at SOTTO al British (Lungarno Guicciardini 15) and generate your own micro-story in real time. A fun, supportive space to write, experiment and take the first steps toward your own flash fiction entry.
November 21, 6.30-8pm
