This year, the Winterset in Summer Festival Turns 25!
The Riddle Fence X Winterset in Summer
Flash Fiction Contest
$500 GRAND PRIZE
+ 2 X $250 RUNNER UP PRIZE
& PUBLICATION IN RF #58
Contest Opens January 1, 2026
DEADLINE: February 13, 2026
Guest Judges:
Jennifer May Newhook, author of Last Hours
Jennifer May Newhook writes poetry as well as short- and long-form narrative fiction. She has been published in literary journals, magazines, and anthologies locally, across Canada, and internationally. Her work has been acknowledged by nominations and awards in all genres. Her first poetry collection, Last Hours, published by Riddle Fence Debuts Press was released in Spring 2024. She is currently working on a full-length collection of linked short stories. Jennifer lives in downtown St. John’s, NL (Ktaqmkuk) with her partner and their four children.
Aimee Wall, author of We, Jane
credit: Richmond Lam
Aimee Wall is the author of the novel We, Jane (Book*hug, 2021), which was shortlisted for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, the BMO Winterset Award, and the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. She is also the translator of six Quebec novels from the French, including, most recently, Sadie X by Clara Dupuis-Morency (Book*hug, 2023), which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Translation and the Cole Foundation Prize for Translation. Originally from Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador, she currently lives in Montreal.
Contest Rules and Guidelines:
Please note, this contest is open to Newfoundland and Labrador residents only.
ENTRY FEE: $29. All fees are in Canadian dollars and include a one-year subscription to Riddle Fence.
Free entry! for BIPOC contest submissions. Just self-identify upon entry.
Submissions must be anonymous—please do not include your name or personal details anywhere in your document including the file name.
PROMPT: All submissions must somehow emerge from the following recipe – given to us by Lisa Moore….
Let two characters simmer during a summer romance while folding in a high-stakes, tension-filled workplace full of dramatic power dynamics, where a liberal dollop of desire ricochets like rocket candy on the tip of the tongue, and the characters’ hearts are tenderized until done. Include dashes of betrayal and heartbreak and spice with exultation (to taste), stir in three point-of-view shifts, and top with a sweet-and-sour epiphany. Sprinkle generously with dialogue. Don’t be afraid to substitute ingredients!
PARAMETERS:
One submission is one flash fiction story, 300-500 words.
Please submit your work as a .doc or .docx file.
Double space.
Make sure the title, word count, and page number appear on every page of your submission.
Submissions that don’t conform to these requirements will be disqualified.
GENERAL CONTEST RULES:
An entry consists of one submission. Multiple entries are allowed; however, each entry must be accompanied by its own entry fee.
Please note: Entries must be original and unpublished elsewhere. No simultaneous submissions and no previously published (or accepted for publication) submissions. Work that is written, co-written, created, or assisted by AI is not eligible.
Submissions must be anonymous. Do not identify yourself on your actual submission. Please note that any submissions that include name identification will be disqualified, and fees will not be refunded.
Every paid entry fee gets a free subscription. Want to give your contest subscription as a gift to someone? No problem — please indicate the intended address on your form.
Contest winners and runners up will be contacted directly by email. Other entrants are not directly contacted about the results.
Contest open only to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Winner and runners-up will be published in Riddle Fence #58.
To get on the mailing list for this August’s Winterset in Summer Literary Festival in Eastport: https://wintersetinsummer.ca
