Announcing the shortlist – Six Word Wonder 2024

Dear fellow wordsmiths and wonders of the literary arts,

With bated breath and hearts brimming with anticipation, I’m thrilled to unveil the shortlisted writers for the illustrious 4th annual writing contest, Six Word Wonder 2024! This year, our contest has reached new heights, with thousands of entries flooding in from talented writers across the globe, each one a tiny universe of creativity and imagination.

The Power of Microfiction: Celebrating Creativity in Miniature

After much deliberation, and thousands of poems, stories, memoirs, and jokes read, we have selected the crème de la crème of microfiction masterpieces that left us spellbound. These are the stories that dared to dream big within the confines of brevity, weaving worlds in just a few words, and captivating our souls with their depth and resonance.

Enormous thank yous to everybody who took part. Only six words but enormous energy contributed by each and every one of you. I salute you all. Keep writing!

Our shortlisted writers are all included in the 6th book in the Six Word Wonder series – this one snappily titled – Six Word Wonders.

The book anthology will be available in hardback, softback and e-book. Last year’s book was really popular. I hope this one will be too. The e-book is available on Amazon pre-sale, with the hardback and paperback published on March 26th, 2024.

Last year’s winner announcement also crashed this website, so I hope we don’t get a repeat of that this year!

Meet the Wonderful Six Word Wonder 2024 Shortlist

Without further ado, let us shine the spotlight on the remarkable writers whose works have earned a coveted place on our prestigious shortlist:

Aaran Thakore, United Kingdom
Aca Aca, Indonesia
AJ Johnson, United States
Ali Ruiz Vázquez, Spain
Alice Campbell, United Kingdom
Alice Kinerk, United States
Amanda Nicholson, United Kingdom
Amos Campf, United States
AN Grace, United Kingdom
Ana Maria, Romania
Andrea Santo Felcone, United States
Andrew Wright, Canada
Andy N, United Kingdom
Angela Karnes Padron, PhD, United States
Arantxa Mathapersadh, South Africa
Asuka Oura, Japan
Atticus Black, Ghana
Aubrey Lombardo, United States
Benson Lucero, Philippines
Bentley Brock, United States
Bogdan Groza, Italy
Brandon Ragsdale, United States
Candice Abigail Fabriga, Philippines
Caroline McCue, United States
Charles S, United States
Christie Santoli, United States
Christopher Frew, United States
Cindy Belt, United States
Claire Smith, United States
Dakota Jackson, United States
Danny Hedges, United Kingdom
Dave Kalcher, United Kingdom
David Silver, United Kingdom
Donald A. Ranard, United States
Dusty Jaymes, United States
Edward Huddleston, United States
Elaine Gardner, United Kingdom
Elizabeth Spencer Spragins, United States
Ellie Colagrosso, United States
Eloisa Bloom, United States
Emily Fenner, United States
Erica Steel, Scotland
Evie Wynne, United Kingdom
Faid , United Kingdom
Farah Ali, UK
Farhana Hussain, England
Fatima Abdullahi, Nigeria
Feby Joseph, India
Gary Clarke, Northern Ireland
Genevieve Baumann, United States
Genna Weitz, United States
Gina Leigh, United States
Heather Haigh, United Kingdom
Heaven-Leigh Porter, Australia
Hibah Shabkhez, Pakistan
Holly Hedd, Canada
Holly Sissons, United Kingdom
Ian Coombe, Australia
James Penha, Indonesia
Jasmeet Kaur, India
Jasmina Salimova, United States
Jean Harfenist, United States
Jeanne Johnson, United States
Jeck Garcia, Philippines
Jeff Boldt, United States
Jeff Kennedy, United States
Jennifer R. Thornton, United States
Jenny Cleland, Spain
Jody Cooksley, UK
John Cooper, United Kingdom
John D. Parker, United States
Jonathan Khoo, Malaysia
Jordana Landres, United States
Joseph Yu, United States
Julia Tilson, Canada
Julie Rule, United States
Justin Dal, United States
Kaitlyn Brogan, United States
Kami Mugo, Kenya
Kat Coffin, United States
Katherine Gray, United Kingdom
Kathryn McNelis, United States
Kelli Johnson, United States
Lee Ewing, United States
Linda Page, United States
Lisa H. Owens, United States
Lora Butcher, United States
Lulu Henault-Bassett, United States
M Collins, United States
Maia Brown-Jackson,
Malina Gadsden, United States
Marcelo Medone, Uruguay
Marian Myers, United Kingdom
Marissa Pohwat, United States
Marjolein Rotsteeg, The Netherlands
Mark Miscovich, Austria
Melinda-Judith Vincze, Romania
Melissa Bravo, United States
Melissa Lopez, United States
Mia Blixt-Shehan, United States
Michael Fahrbach, United States
Michael Richardson, United Kingdom
Michel Matthews, South Africa
Miera Rao, US
Mike Freveletti, United States
Morgan Pletcher, United States
Morgan V, United States
Najifa Tabassum Lira, Bangladesh
Nancy Whitecross, South Africa
Naomi Hudiyah, Nigeria
Nazdar Ayzit, Turkey
Neethu Manikandan, United States
Nia Docherty, United States
Nia Docherty, United States
Nick Fogg, UK
Nicola Lamprecht, South Africa
Nina Blake, Jamaica
Norbert Kovacs, United States
Norman Julian Blair, United Kingdom
Ojingiri Hannah, Nigeria
Okparaoyibo Chukwuma paul, Nigeria
Oliver Sopulu Odo, Nigeria
Parisa Mousavi, Iran
Philip Thomas, United Kingdom
Pia Zenelle Hutalla, Philippines
Q.P. Cairo, United States
Quraan Janati, Kuwait
Rebekah Lawrence, Scotland
Renee Ricevuto, United States
Ria Mavinkurve, United States
Richard Prosch, United States
River Song, United States
Rob Walton, UK
Rook d’Bay, United States
Rosanne Ehrlich, United States
Rosemary Thomas, India
Roy Hassija, Australia
Sadie Erickson, United States
Sahil Mehta, United States
Sally Greeno, United States
Samiksha Ransom, India
Sarah Diniapsari, Indonesia
Sarah Heald, Uk
Scott Duncan, South Africa
Sharika Nair, India
Sharon Rina Rose de Villiers, South Africa
Sheetal Singh, New Zealand
Sheila Gray, UK
Sheila, United Kingdom
Shih Yen Chang, New Zealand
Shoba Narayan, India
Silence Singer, Canada
Sofia Rincon, Colombia
Stian Koxvig, United Kingdom
Susmita Ramani, United States
Terence Gallagher,
Tinuola Yusuff, Nigeria
Tom Preston, United Kingdom
Tom Witcomb, United Kingdom
Valentina Epifanov, USA
Valerie Fish, United Kingdom
Vanessa Wright, United Kingdom
Veronika Mikec, Slovenia
Willow Flame, England
Writer Pilgrim
Yomara Moreno, United States
Zinhle M Xaba, South Africa
Zoe Humphreys, United States

Heartfelt congratulations to each of these luminaries! Your talent, ingenuity, and dedication to the craft have set you apart in a sea of brilliance, and we salute your remarkable achievement.

Countdown to Victory: Next Week’s Winner RevealMarch 26th, 2024

As we eagerly anticipate the grand reveal of our winners, scheduled for next week on March 26th, 2024.

The winner of the Six Word Wonder 2024 will not only claim the prestigious title, get publication, get a copy of the book and also a grand prize of $100!

All for writing six words in a free contest!

Introducing: Six Word Wonders – the anthology

But wait, there’s more! In celebration of the incredible talent showcased in this year’s shortlist, we’re thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Six Word Wonders. This captivating collection will feature all the shortlisted stories, allowing readers to immerse themselves in a world of microfiction marvels.

A Heartfelt Thank You to All Entrants

We extend our deepest gratitude to all the entrants who poured their hearts and souls into their submissions. Your courage to share your stories and your passion for the written word have made this contest a vibrant celebration of creativity and imagination.

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned as we count down the days to the momentous announcement of our victor and the release of the [Writing Contest Name] Shortlist Anthology! Until then, let us revel in the magic of microfiction and celebrate the boundless creativity of the human spirit.

Warmest regards,

Doug Weller, storyteller

What is the Six Word Wonder contest?

The Six Word Wonder contest aims to celebrate and promote the format of poetry, stories, memoirs, and jokes, written in only six words. First made famous by the apocryphal story of Hemmingway’s “For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Worn.”

The craft of writing a Six Word Wonder encourages people to value brevity and emotional punch in their creative writing.

The contest is judged blind, purely on the merits of the entry. The winner receives $100, and all shortlisted stories get published.

You can find out more about Six Word Wonders here.

28 thoughts on “Announcing the shortlist – Six Word Wonder 2024”

  1. Hi,

    Apparently 3 of my entries have been included in the book. Not sure if this is allowed? I hope there isn’t a mistake?

    Thank you x x x

    Reply
    • Hi Sharon – Nothing to worry about – quite the opposite. The contest was judged entirely blind, and so it was entirely possible for more than one entry to make the shortlist.

      You clearly have a real gift for catching the judges eye!

      Well done!

      Reply
  2. Hi,

    Apparently of my entries have been included in the book. Not sure if this is allowed? I hope there isn’t a mistake?

    Thank you x x x

    Reply
  3. Thanks for the annual challenge again, Doug. With only 6 words, it certainly makes the old grey matter work out what matters. I’m delighted and honoured to be short-listed. Thanks to everyone involved in the competition – please keep it up. Cheers from Australia.

    Reply
  4. ✨️ Congratulations Everyone! ✨️ This is quite exciting, isn’t it? ????

    Good luck to all! ????????????
    Love, Sharon x x x

    Reply
    • Dear Sharon!

      Congratulations with your 3 entries published in the book. But I adored your fourth one (on the SWW website) as well: ” ALIENS ARRIVE! Appear unimpressed, depart immediately”. Maybe they landed in Holland :)! I have send you a personal mail to say congrats and other things as well. All the best, kind regards, with love, Rob

      Reply
  5. ✨️ Congratulations Everyone! ✨️ This is quite exciting, isn’t it? ????

    Good luck to all! ????????????
    Love, Sharon x x x

    Reply
  6. I’m absolutely thrilled to be included in the shortlist for this year’s Six Word Wonder! This was my first attempt at writing six words. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  7. I’m absolutely thrilled to be included in the shortlist for this year’s Six Word Wonder! This was my first attempt at writing six words. Thank you so much.
    Elaine Gardner

    Reply

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