Flash Fiction winner
Catherine Sleeman

The 2026 BilliLit Flash Fiction 500 competition was judged by Lesley Hart. She writes:

It was so hard to narrow this year’s winners down to just two short stories, all were of such high standard and with great merit. Therefore I’ve also created a short list alongside the two winning entries. Choosing between these two stories again proved difficult and I read both a number of times before reaching a conclusion. Both gripped at me and created a visceral reaction and were so beautifully written with almost poetic description. In the end the decision came down to which gave the greatest gut punch because both will stay with me for a long time.

Our second-place winner’s story is crafted so well from the outset. I can see the characters and setting clearly and the language used is evocative. I really enjoyed this beautiful story, which painted a rich picture of past history and a child and a dog scratching a living. The dog might have been a rotten rat catcher but the wealth he brought to the boy’s life meant he would sacrifice his own meals and comfort for them to stay together. You’ve used all of the senses to layer your imagery to create a story which plays out in the mind like a film – well done. The second-place winner is: Rats by Elizabeth Bean

And, in first place: This powerful story tells of the battle by lifeboat crew to save lives from the majesty of the sea. I really enjoyed it and it gripped me from the outset. The whale’s plight was fully believable as was the sorrow of the whale family who unwittingly got trapped in the trawler’s nets and lost their lives. Additionally, I liked the repetition of the lifeboat crew listening to their grandmothers, which nicely bookended this short story. The author used a lot of powerful verbs to describe, viscerally and concisely the action in the story. Well done.

Our first-place winner is: Playing Chess by Catherine Sleeman.