We are delighted to report that this year’s Flash Fiction Competition will be judged by novelist and short story writer Nuala O’Connor. Nuala’s sixth novel Seaborne about Irish-born pirate Anne Bonny was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the 2024 An Post Irish Book Awards, and nominated for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award.
She won Irish Short Story of the Year at the 2022 Irish Book Awards, and her novel Nora was selected as the One Dublin One Book choice for the same year. Menagerie, her fifth poetry collection, has been published by Arlen House.
Poetry and Flash Fiction Competitions both remain open for entries through 28 September. Winning entries will be announced and read at the Literary Lunch on Saturday 8 Nov. Entry forms and competition rules are available at www.allinghamfestival.com.
We’re keeping Nuala busy on November 8th. Later in the afternoon, following the literary lunch, she will interview Donal Ryan, winner of the 2025 Orwell Prize for his novel Heart, Be at Peace, in the Abbey Arts Centre.
We are in the process of putting final touches to this year’s programme. Watch out for much more news in the coming weeks, here and on our Facebook feed.