Oxford Flash Fiction Prize 2024

To mark the centenary of Kafka’s death and celebrate his legacy, the 2024 Oxford Flash Fiction prize featured stories exploring the theme of transformations. This was the result of a partnership with the Bodleian Libraries’ Kafka: Making of an Icon exhibition at the University of Oxford.

Of the winning story, 'Hold' by Andrew Lang, one of the judges Deesha Philyaw says: ‘"Hold" is relentless in all the best ways. The story’s urgent heartbeat/drumbeat refrain conjures memories with equal measures of intensity and tenderness. The mess, mirth, and miracles of mother’s life through her child’s eyes are encapsulated beautifully and assuredly.’

Dr Ian Ellison, the postdoctoral researcher on the Kafka’s Transformative Communities project, was one of the 2024 judges and wrote an introduction to the Oxford Flash Fiction Anthology.

Dr Ellison comments in his introduction: 'As one of the researchers on the “Kafka’s Transformative Communities” project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, I was thrilled to be asked to serve as one of the judges for the 2024 prize. I owe a profound debt of gratitude to Freya Morris, first and foremost, for her invitation and her guidance; to my fellow judges, Deesha Philyaw and Avi Ben-Zeev, for their sensitive insights and good humour; to the Bodleian’s public engagement team for making the partnership happen; to the readers who compiled such a fantastic shortlist; and to all the writers whose work appears in the following pages for the hours of wonder their words inspired. It was a truly transformative experience for me and my fellow judges to read what follows.'

The Anthology is now available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Transformations-Oxford-Flash-Fiction-Anthology/dp/1739209753/