There’s lots going on here at Cranked Anvil at the moment, and we’re gearing up for some exciting new things in the coming months. We’re working hard behind the scenes, and in the…

Our first ever audio playwriting competition was a resounding success, and today we can announce the winners. Entries came in from around the world, and the standard was incredibly high. Thank you …

We had a fantastic, international response to our first ever audio playwriting competition. The standard was incredibly high, and the judges have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the eligible entries…

Our quarterly Flash Fiction Competition is now OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS. The deadline for this prize is midnight (UK time) on the last day of:FebruaryMayAugustNovember Your story/stories can be any the…

With such a huge amount of entries, there’s been a bit of a backlog at CAHQ. But the judging for the long list is now completed. Don’t forget – All our competitions are rolling, a…

Signs it is time for a self-clean cycle: buildup of grease, odors and heavy emotional residue.  Some say there is no bad time for self-clean...

How can you have fresh ice-cream? Chrissy asks. It’s been ten years since we were last here, but the same blue and white van is parked in th...

Fifteen Ways to Grieve your Mother  (after Paul Simon) Learn to cook the Mother Of All Roasts, complete with high-rise Yorkshire puddings, a...

Mary Randall moved to Munich, or Berlin, or Geneva, so Agnes heard, but here she is, squeezing avocados in Sainsbury’s, wrinkling her nose, ...

In the staffroom, Kate plugs in a fan which swings from side to side, moving the stale air around. Beside her, a physics textbook is open, a...

Beneath an ash filled church, under a ruined city at the end of the world, we cling to loved ones, strangers, mostly ourselves as the bell s...

Writing Competitions - Story, Flash and Playwriting | Digital Publishing Services | Audio Productions | Feedback/Critique Service | Indie Press | Est. 2012

Writing Competitions - Story, Flash and Playwriting | Digital Publishing Services | Audio Productions | Feedback/Critique Service | Indie Press | Est. 2012

Our NEW quarterly Play Writing Competition is now OPEN for INTERNATIONAL submissions. We have teamed up with UK radio station RADIO NORTHUMBERLAND for this fantastic play writing competition. Your …

Writing Competitions - Story, Flash and Playwriting | Digital Publishing Services | Audio Productions | Feedback/Critique Service | Indie Press | Est. 2012

The stories have been read and re-read, the judging has taken place and final decisions made, and today we’re delighted to announce the short list and winners of our final ever Short Story Wr…

The judges have announced the shortlist and winners for our Feb25 Flash Fiction Prize, and we’re pleased to announce it here today. But before we do… NEW SHORT STORY PRIZE! Our Internat…

A pigeon nestles, invisible, on a steel branch behind three security cameras, each angled towards the road. A whirring too slight to disturb the bird emits from the cameras when their data transfer…

Congratulations to the following authors, who have made it onto the long list of our February Flash Fiction Writing Prize: Joyce BinghamMara BlazicSharon BoyleJude Luttrell BradleyLesley BungayAnne…

I’m telling the goldfish funeral story, so Natasha stays the night. Lamplight low, we’re fully clothed on the bed. It’s a funny story at one a.m. and I miss the sound of laughter in this place. “My…

We have another little micro-treat for you today – a double-bill of superb microfiction. We hope you enjoy… But before you do… We’ve set up a small ‘Donations’ p…

We’re delighted to report on the success of another of our former writing prize winners. In November 2024, Hannah Retallick released her debut collection of literary short stories, called Som…

I buried you beneath the barren snag. I think I’ve trapped you inside the tree; there’s a delicious irony in thinking of you as Daphne. I’m the one who remains, even my bruises have faded to an alm…