Flash Fiction Prize

2026 Raleigh Review Flash Fiction Prize 

"Maw Maw’s Cheese Balls" by Elizabeth Rosen, winner

published finalists:

-"She Has a New Job Collecting Dues" by Colleen Baran

-"The Rules of Jim’s Pond" by Ashley W. Cundiff

-"The Bookkeepers" by Abby Manzella 

-"The Vole" by Riley Mayes

-"Playing Dead (or Dying)" by Ryan Peed 

-"Take Me There" by Rodrigo Schönardie  

-"Good Driver" by Claire Marie Torn

-“Traders" by Dominic Viti

-"Glass Wall" by Lucy Zhang 

JUDGING
OPTIONAL ENTRY FEE: $7 USD.
The Raleigh Review Fiction Team will serve as the judges. 

PRIZES

• First Prize includes $300 USD and publication in the Spring issue.
  
• Finalists will receive our standard $15 payment along with publication.
  ​

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Opens via Submittable for an optional fee on October 1.
  
• Deadline is October 31.
  
• Submit up to two unpublished works of flash per entry.
  
• Flash works should be no longer than 1000 words each, combine both stories
  in one file.
  
• Entries are only accepted via Duosuma (Tip Jar or Free) or Submittable (Fee).
  
• Attached files should be free of personal identifiers such as name, address, phone and email, social media handles, etc. 
  
• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. If one or more flash work is selected for publication by another magazine, please leave a message on your submission via Submittable.
  
• Failure to meet guidelines may result in disqualification.
  
• Current students of Raleigh Review editorial staff and Raleigh Review board members are not eligible to enter. 
  
• This contest is open to writers who reside in the US (regardless of immigration status). Those outside the USA are most welcome to submit to this prize though the payment for any winners who happen to be based outside the USA will be in copies of Raleigh Review since we are not permitted to mail checks outside our own country.

2025 Raleigh Review Flash Fiction Prize 

Winner 

“The Alien” by Kimberly Suazo 

Finalists 

“Poll Dancing” by Angela Townsend 

"The International Space Station Knows How I Feel” by Nathan Alling Long 

2024 Raleigh Review Flash Fiction Prize

Winner 

Doug Crandell, “Cyclone Seeder”

Finalists: 

Cyn Nooney, “Maybe Everything” and “Eight-Zip”

Anna Schachner, “The Bee’s (Sticky, Certain) Knees”

Philip Schaefer, “Tugboats”

2023 Raleigh Review Flash Fiction Prize

​
Winner 
 Ryan Habermeyer, “Arcade Baby” 

Honorable Mention 
 Michele Moseley, “Captive” 
Will Musgrove, “Squeaky Clean Enlightenment” 

2022 Raleigh Review Flash Fiction Prize

Winner 
Keith S. Wilson, "Blood" 

Honorable Mention 
Vandana Khanna, "Good on Paper" 
Rita Ciresi, "All Rise" 

2021 Raleigh Review Flash Fiction Prize

Winner 
Amina Gautier, “Monument”

 Honorable Mention 
Katherine Hubbard, “1985”

Finalists
Amina Gautier, “Hansel and Gretel on Trial”
Alana Reynolds, “You Two”

2020 Raleigh Review Flash Fiction Prize

Winner 
Alexander Weinstein, “The Museum of Forgotten Emotions”

 Honorable Mention 
Sarah Hardy, “The Year of Transformation”

Alexander Steele, "Cezanne"

Finalists
Vandana Khanna, “When in Rome"
Andrea Marcusa, “Teeth”

R.S. Wynn, "Crush"

Mariano Zaro, "Sugar, Liqueur and Honeymoons"