There was a lot to celebrate at Ōtautahi National Flash Fiction Day event this year with Waitaha writers doing what they do best – writing award winning stories. On the evening of Monday 22 June, simultaneous events were held across Aotearoa, in Whangarei, Tāmaki Makaurau, Kirikiriroa, Whanganui-a-Tara, Ōtautahi and Ōtepoti, to announce the winners of the annual NZ National Flash Fiction Day competition. Now in its 15th year, the competition celebrates writing in its shortest forms, with a flash (300-word story) and micro fiction (100-word story) competition.
Waitaha writers have a long and award-winning history in the NZ National Flash Fiction Day competition. In the adult category, a Waitaha writer has regularly placed in the top three and won in 2020, 2016 and 2015. Similarly, youth writers have often placed in the long and short list, taking out first and second place in 2025. This year it was a packed crowd that filled Tautoru TSB Space, excitement high as much for the announcement of winners as for guest readers Josiah Morgan, NFFD youth judge and poet, Dietrich Soakai, spoken word poet, and Mithali Manoj, Write On - School for Young Writers. Anyone who has heard Josiah and Dietrich read before, knew to expect a high energy reading, with both poets bringing their work to life on stage. Dietrich took this a step further, creating a spoken word poem on the spot with three words thrown to him by the audience.
Waitaha youth again stood out in the winning results; first place went to Ellie Zhou, third place to Ellarose Wang and highly commended to Tom Ambury. Over the years, Ellie's writing has been recognised consistently in the competition; she was longlisted in 2023 and placed second in 2024. It is a trend that stands out among all these talented young writers who continue to work on their craft of storytelling year after year.
Josiah Morgan presented the youth awards, his full comments available in Flash Frontier NFFD issue. Here is a snippet:
"I had a fantastic time reading so many flash fiction pieces from so many young writers. When selecting the longlist, I focused on works with resonant voices, clear communication and creative choices – I was interested in work that surprised me. Many, but not all, of the longlisted works include strong storytelling with either surprising endings, or resonant resolution. I was also interested in unique voices and surprising turns of phrase. The first place story is i am seven years old, just like i have always been. Lots of writers I know think of stories as icebergs: some of the story is shown to the reader, but the rest is hidden beneath the water. This is a story like an iceberg. There are infinite unspoken dimensions to this story, well told with a clear character voice. It’s a piece of flash fiction that plays like a mantra or ritual – a spell cast to stay safe."
For the NFFD adult competition, poet and flash writer Annabel Wilson was shortlisted and took out the New Zealand Society of Authors - Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa Waitaha Canterbury Regional Prize.
All Waitaha writers on the long and short list of both NFFD and Micro Madness were invited to read at the celebration, a total of 6 youth and 7 adults, the youngest writer 12-year-old Kastubh Khadka. Among these writers were many English teachers, some specifically in creative writing, reading alongside the youth that they teach. It is this combining of new and experienced writers, of bringing youth and adult writers together, that makes NFFD so special - and because writing short, writing between forms of prose and poetry, is very fun.
A huge ngā mihi to those who supported this event and our local creative community – Creative NZ Creative Communities Scheme, Christchurch City Libraries, New Zealand Society of Authors Canterbury branch who provide the Regional Award, and Scorpio Books and The Clocks Bookshop for spot prizes.
Top reading tips
- Josiah Morgan, Youth NFFD judge and poet/performer I'm Still Growing
- Gail Ingram, emcee Anthology
- Waitaha youth writers Write on and Parallel Lines
Find out more
- About NZ NFFD
- Read NZ NFFD’s winning stories at Flash Frontier
- Flash Frontier YouTube - including readings by Waitaha shortlisted youth Cicy Chen, Ellarose Wang ad Tom Ambury, and adult shortlist Annabel Wilson
Rachel - Library Assistant, Hapori
City Chair, Ōtautahi NFFD event
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