The Welkin Writing Prize
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welkinprize.bsky.social
The Welkin Writing Prize
@welkinprize.bsky.social
1.1K followers 810 following 750 posts
Free-to-enter writing prize | micros up to 100 words | deadline 2nd January 2024 | run by @mattkendrick.bsky.social

Website: https://www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize/welkin-mini
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welkinprize.bsky.social
**ATTENTION WRITERS** This is your ONE MONTH warning. Entires open for the #WelkinWritingPrize 2026 on the 1st Dec. 100 words. Rolling subs. Free entry. Publication for shortlistees. Prizes for top 5.
THE WELKIN MINI. For micros up to 100 words. Free to enter. Deadline = 2nd January 2026. 1st prize = £75, 2nd prize = £40, 3rd prize = £25, HC = £10.
November 1, 2025 at 11:01 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
Of course. Can't not have the Welkin. I've even been updating the Welkin website 😀 Had to find a solution to my website having too many pages without deleting stories 😬
THE WELKIN MINI. For micros up to 100 words. Free to enter. Deadline = 2nd January 2026. 1st prize = £75, 2nd prize = £40, 3rd prize = £25, HC = £10.
November 1, 2025 at 10:58 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
The #WelkinWritingPrize is pleased to announce nominations for this year's Pushcart Prize:

@laurabesley.bsky.social
@cbigs.bsky.social
Clyde Liffey
NmaHassan Muhammad
@shiramusicant.bsky.social
@thisisguan.bsky.social

Congratulations all!!!
PUSHCART PRIZE NOMINATIONS: Laura Besley, Coleman Bigelow, Clyde Liffey, NmaHassan Muhammad, Shira Musicant, Guan Un
October 27, 2025 at 12:22 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
And for the Haunting Award:

@lmbayley.bsky.social
@ruralunease.bsky.social
@susmitab.bsky.social
Genrepunk Haunting Award Nominations. Daneil Addercouth, Linda Bayley, Susmita Bhattacharya
September 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
For the Award for Disabled Creatives:

@suzannehicks.bsky.social
Genrepunk Award for Disabled Creatives Nomination. Suzanne Hicks
September 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
Please join me in congratulating the #WelkinPrize nominations for the @genrepunkmag.bsky.social awards.

For the Editors' Choice Award:

@cake-girl.bsky.social
@noranadj.bsky.social
@mrallanmiller.bsky.social
Genrepunk Editors' Choice Award Nominations. Allan Miller, Karen Baumgart, Nora Nadjarian
September 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
The #WelkinWritingPrized is pleased to nominate @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social for the @monarch.gay literary awards 2025.

Link to Jame's brilliant story below 👇
MONARCH QUEER LITERARY AWARD NOMINATION: James Montgomery
September 23, 2025 at 10:38 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
The Welkin Writing Prize is pleased to announce our nominations for Best of the Net:

@thisisguan.bsky.social for "A Parable of Slow Songs"

and

@sfreligh.bsky.social for "Nine One One"

Congratulations both! Such brilliant writing!

Story links in the thread below.
Against a background of a blue flower, in a white square, the text reads "Best of the Net Nominations. Guan Un. Sarah Freligh."
August 7, 2025 at 10:55 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
Sorry, you're having such a tough time of it. Hoping for some calmer days for you very soon. In the meantime, here's a puffin picture.
Charcoal and pastel drawing of a puffin
February 7, 2025 at 4:27 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
Of course, the important thing we all want to know is WHO HAS WON the sweepstake to guess the number of entries???

DRUM ROLL! 🥁🥁🥁

The number was an incredible 819!!!!

And the closest pick was @kelliborges2.bsky.social. Congratulations!

Here's your badge. And your special limerick is below!
A circle containing a picture of the night sky. There are nine gold stars arranged around the words "The Welkin Writing Prize" and "Winner of the Welkin Sweepstake 2025".
January 2, 2025 at 3:39 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
Happy new year from the Welkin Prize. Wishing you all a wonderful 2025 full of creativity, resilience, happiness and hope.
A burst of fireworks lighting up the sky. The text reads "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
January 1, 2025 at 9:35 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
We're on 700 entries now. Wowzer! Thank you so much for trusting me with all your words. The standard continues to be incredible. It's such a joy to read each and every one of these pieces. Please give yourselves a collective pat on the back!

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
A pink, purple and orange-tinged sky over a snowy landscape. In a shadowy circle, the text reads "Seven hundred entries!"
December 31, 2024 at 8:57 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
On the sixth day of Christmas, the writing community sent to me...

SIX HUNDRED MICRO STORIES!

Yep, that's 600 entries now, and still 4 calling birds, 5 gold rings and 33 French hens until Thursday's deadline:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
A moonlit sky above a pine forest. In a transparent black circle, the text reads "Six hundred entries!"
December 29, 2024 at 9:25 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
This morning saw the arrival of entry FIVE HUNDRED!!! This is already more than last year with 11 days to go. I'm running out of graphics! My eyes have gone triangular with reading all your brilliant work!

Keep the entries coming: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
The horizon of a deserted planet beneath a starry sky. The text reads "Five hundred entries!"
December 22, 2024 at 9:34 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
A reminder that entries close a fortnight today. That means that, if you're just starting, you need to write 7.14 words per day (my maths is almost certainly wrong), or write 100 words today and spend the next 13 days moving commas about...

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
THE WELKIN MINI. For micros up to 100 words. Free to enter. Deadline = 2nd January 2025. 1st prize = £50. 2nd prize = £30. 3rd prize = £20. HC = £10.
December 19, 2024 at 8:58 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
Four hundred now!!!! Amazed by the flood of entries. Thank you everyone who has trusted me with their words. It's been an honour to read all your amazing work.

Still two weeks to go before the deadline - so, plenty of time for those still crafting stories:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
A red planet with asteroids floating in front. The text reads "Four hundred entries!"
December 17, 2024 at 3:20 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
We're up to three hundred entries now!!!

Thank you to everyone who's sent in a micro so far.

Just less than three weeks till the deadline: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...

Remember that if you get an NQA (not quite acceptance), you can send in another piece.
The aurora in greens and turquoise above snow-covered hills. The text reads "Three hundred entries!"
December 13, 2024 at 10:36 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
We're up to three hundred entries now!!!

Thank you to everyone who's sent in a micro so far.

Just less than three weeks till the deadline: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...

Remember that if you get an NQA (not quite acceptance), you can send in another piece.
The aurora in greens and turquoise above snow-covered hills. The text reads "Three hundred entries!"
December 13, 2024 at 9:36 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
Two hundred entries already!!! And it hasn't been a week yet 😬😁!!! Thank you so much to everyone who has already sent in a story. For everyone else, all the details can be found here:

www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
An astronaut in front of a full moon. The text reads "Two hundred entries!"
December 7, 2024 at 12:41 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
Already ONE HUNDRED entries received in less than 4 days! Wow! The response to this has been wonderful. And the quality of the stories has been amazing. So many brilliant writers out there.

All details about the competition can be found here: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize...
A solar eclipse. The text reads "One hundred entries!"
December 4, 2024 at 4:32 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
It's the FINAL COUNTDOWN. Just 4 Irrawaddies, 55 Orinocos and 12 Mississippis until the deadline.

455 entries currently. Will we creep over 500 in the next few hours?

#FlashFiction #WritingComp #AmWriting
An alarm clock showing the time of 3 o'clock.
January 2, 2024 at 10:05 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
In all the excitement of today, I think I forgot to post this, so here we are a little later than planned, there is now LESS THAN A DAY until the deadline.

It is TOMORROW at 3:00 PM (GMT).

If you're still scribbling, that's about 5 words an hour...

#FlashFiction #WritingComp
An alarm clock showing the time of 3 o'clock.
January 1, 2024 at 7:27 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
You have just THREE googly-eyed gourds, TWO heritage carrots, FORTY-ONE soggy Brussels sprouts, and ELEVEN ghost peas (or if you prefer "normal" then 3 and bit days) until the deadline for the Welkin Mini.

But that's still plenty of time/vegetables to polish up 100 words.

#WritingComp
Three gourds with googly eyes
December 30, 2023 at 12:18 PM
welkinprize.bsky.social
FIVE GOLD RINGS... or days... until the deadline for the Welkin Mini. That's the same number of days as dwarf planets in the solo system. My favourite is Makemake for obvious reasons. Five is also the number of Olympic rings & the number of lines on a musical stave...

#FlashFiction #WritingComp
A pink number 5 on a beige floor tile in a nursery. Duplo bricks are scattered on top.
December 28, 2023 at 11:14 AM
welkinprize.bsky.social
Today feels like a good day to scribble something for the Welkin Mini. You've got just six days left now!!! 100 words. Any theme. FREE ENTRY. The deadline is NEXT TUESDAY at (don't be caught out by this!) 3pm GMT.

#FlashFiction #WritingComp #AmWriting
A yellow starting block in a swimming pool with the number "six" in a bold font.
December 27, 2023 at 9:45 AM