Calling all creative writers for Krampus Crackers: A Flash Fiction Project

[Image © Terry Whidborne]

 

Thinking about Christmas already? Probably not. But Flash Fiction project Krampus Crackers might just inspire you to think about your Christmas crackers a little earlier this year…

Who’s Krampus I hear you ask? Well Krampus (cover the children’s ears) is a half-goat, half-demon, mythical beast – a Christmas Demon if you will; terrifying ‘wicked’ children into being ‘nice’ for Christmas. Think the Grinch… but replace the fluffy green fingers and button nose, with horns, fangs and chains … you get it.

Inspired by the myth of Krampus, Brisbane-based publisher Tiny Owl Workshop has launched a project to replace the jokes in our crackers this Christmas, with flash fiction. The project is running in the UK & Australia; local writer Vicky Pointing will be curating the UK submissions right here in Leeds.

 

Illustration © Simon Cottee – sneak peek

 

Tiny Owl Workshop is looking for 12 short stories of between 300 – 500 words which will be illustrated by artists including Terry Whidborne, Simon Cottee, Kathleen Jennings and Gustavo Ortegar, and made into sets of ‘Krampus Crackers’. These will be distributed throughout Leeds for Krampusnacht (December 6^th) where there will also be a reading by the authors.

 

Illustration © Terry Whidborne – sneak peek

 

THE JUDGES?

Vicky’s own flash fiction ‘Neighbourhood Witch’ was printed as part of Tiny Owl’s Halloween themed Napkin project in October 2013. Vicky played a major role in organising the children’s and young adult’s programmes for this year’s Leeds Big Bookend Festival in Leeds and in her own time writes flash fiction for children. Her work is fantastical, frightening, and often silly!

Steve Toase is an author and archaeologist living in North Yorkshire and occasionally Munich, Germany. As an author he writes mythic fiction, weaving elements from folklore and legend into a contemporary setting. In Steve’s work Gods are found in boxes, trees hitch-hike and bears play chess in sunlit plazas. His story Call Out has recently been selected for the Best Horror Of The Year Anthology 6. To read more of Steve’s work, visit stevetoase.co.uk or follow on Twitter @stevetoase

The submission deadline is midnight September 5^th 2014 so GET WRITING!

 

HOW TO ENTER? Here are a few rules…

–       A Christmas theme is essential, but the Krampus influence can be more interpretative. It could be as literal as telling a story with Krampus as a character, or playing with the polarities Christmas presents—reward vs. punishment, morality vs. debauchery, reality vs. fantasy, and so on.

–       Format: flash fiction (300-500 words).

–       Stories accepted for inclusion by Tiny Owl will be paid $60 (AUD).

–       Finished stories must be submitted via email to Tiny Owl at [email protected], as a Microsoft Word document or in the body of the email. The author’s name must not appear anywhere on the Word document.

–       In the body of the email, please include your name and contact details, the title of your submission, and a flash bio (25 words).

–       Stories that have already been published are not eligible for consideration.

–       Authors retain copyright of their stories.

 

HAPPY WRITING!

Follow Tiny Owl Workshop on Twitter @TinyOwlWorkshop