Many thanks to Andrew Stuck for the invitation, I'm honoured to be co-judge for the poetry section with poet in residence Daramis West. See details below, or here.
We invite you to write a flash fiction story or poem of 250 words or under on the theme of “In the Dark”.
Strange things come to mind when one imagines walking in the dark. Many of us might choose to avoid it, others are drawn to it. For many creatures it is a way of life, a means to avoid becoming prey. Whether prompted by childhood fairy tales or chilling films or videos, getting home late from an evening party, sitting around the camp fire, or waking early to go to work before dawn, let your imagination fly.
You will be asked to select a location that is publicly accessible, at which you would like your submission to be assigned and where (if possible) we will geolocate an audio anthology.
We will publish an anthology of shortlisted submissions in an illustrated chapbook, as well as on this website and as an audio locative podcast. You can submit an audio recording of your entry, but entries will only be selected from the written submission. Entrants will also be encouraged to join a public online showcase event where they can read their work.
The story and poetry winners will become our writers-in-residence for 2025/6. Prizes for the two winners will include a €100 cash prize (the more entry fees we receive the higher the cash prize will become) and artwork created by Alban Low in each category, and a copy of our limited illustrated edition WALKING In the Dark chapbook. The authors of shortlisted entries will receive a copy of our limited illustrated edition WALKING In the Dark chapbook and be invited to an Invitation Only Writers’ Circle online event, plus a public online showcase to celebrate their work.
An audio anthology will be created and geolocated at different locations – authors can choose to read and record their story or we can hire an actor to read on their behalf.
There is an entry fee of €10 for a single submission, and €5 for an additional submission in that category: submit 2 poems or 2 stories, the fee is €15, submit a poem and a story, the fee is €20. There is no limit the number of submissions you can make. Should you be unable to afford the fees, it will be waived – please email us at submissions[at]walklistencreate.org.
Our volunteer judges are for stories Matthew Beaumont, Professor of English Literature at University College London and author of Nightwalking: a Nocturnal History of London and Chantal Lyons, our current story writer-in-residence and author of Groundbreakers – the Return of Britain’s Wild Boar, and for poetry Marcelle Newbold, award-winning poet and our current poet-in-residence Damaris West.
We launch the competition at a Walking Arts & Local Communities Café on Monday 23 June at which Eléonore Ozanne will present her global action Women walking the City at Night.
We accept submissions from Monday 23 June, until midnight (UTC) on Monday 20 October, 2025. Please click on other tabs to read details of how to enter, key dates and eligibility.
