Announcing the Winners of the 2026 University of Iowa Flash Writing Contest
Thank you to the 140 UI alumni and friends from around the world who submitted short stories during January’s contest.
We asked participants to create a story of 1,000 words or less using one of two sets of prompts:
| Genre | Character | Object | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prompt A | Science fiction | Podcast host | Cracked mirror |
| Prompt B | Drama | Archaeologist | Laundry detergent |
Our judges worked diligently these past few weeks to read submissions that poured in from 19 states, and as far away as China, India, Japan, and Turkey.
Without further ado, here are the winning stories. Winners in each of the grade categories will receive an Iowa-themed writing prize pack and a $25 Bookshop.org gift card. Winners in the current UI student category and both adult categories will each receive an Iowa-themed writing prize pack, a $50 Bookshop.org gift card, and a handcrafted wooden pen carved from the branch of a tree that is located on the UI campus.
2026 Write Now Flash Writing Contest Winning Stories
Grades 3 & 4
- Aurora R., Iowa, “The Toxic Laundry Detergent” (Prompt B)
Grades 5 & 6
- Yusof T., Iowa, “The Cracked Mirror of Loro” (Prompt A)
Grades 7 & 8
- Avery C., Hong Kong SAR China, “Wonderful Things” (Prompt B)
Grades 9—12
- Irene L., Iowa, “The Earth” (Prompt A)
Current University of Iowa Students:
- Grant Darnell, Iowa, “When in Rome” (Prompt A)
Adult, University of Iowa Alumni:
- Kelly Rehan (06BA), Nebraska, “An Honest Living” (Prompt A)
Adult, Friends of the University:
- Cora Miller, California, “Seeing is Believing” (Prompt A)
We’d also like to highlight these honorable mention stories from this year's contest.
Thank you to all who participated—and be on the lookout for the next UI 48-Hour Flash Writing contest in January 2027. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy reading these amazing tales from your fellow Hawkeyes as much as we did! You can also read stories from our past winners.