Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest

April 2026 Winners

April 2026 marked the 12th round of the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest.

Our special guest judge was Autumn Bettinger, an award-winning short-form writer from the US. She was the 2024 Fishtrap fellow, has won The Not Quite Write Flash Fiction Prize and the Silver Scribes Prize, and won our contest twice.

We continue to be thankful for our strong partnership with Compassiviste Publishing, a nonprofit publishing house dedicated to social and environmental justice. Amber Byers, Johanna Craven, Mari Mendoza, Zoë Whittall, and Autumn Bettinger selected the winners.

We received 943 entries, marking a significant decline from previous contests. However, the caliber of entries was still phenomenal.

What a beautiful time we had at the Celebration of Words! Thank you to our incredible community for coming together to hear incredible stories, support writers, and uplift each other. You can watch the recording of this event, where we announced the final winners, here:

WATCH

After careful consideration, we are thrilled to announce the following winners with you. Entries will be published to this website once all contracts have been signed and prizes awarded.

1st place: Jessie Amga from the US won $1,000 USD + a 2-year Duotrope Gift Certificate valued at $100 USD

2nd place: Alina Jiang from the US won a publishing and marketing package with Compassiviste Publishing ($6,000 USD value)

3rd place: Ashley Staszak from the US won a manuscript assessment package with Compassiviste Publishing ($1,500-$3,000 USD value)

4th place: Deahna Fumarol from the US won an editing package with Tadpole Press ($1,500 USD value)

5th place: Dewy from Korea won a writing coaching package with Tadpole Press ($500 USD value)

6th place: ellis jake solie from the US won a writing coaching package with Tadpole Press ($500 USD value)

7th place: Jo Piazza from the US won $200 USD

8th place: Holly Sadowski from the US won $200 USD

9th place: Jill L Martin from the US won $200 USD

10th place: Hayley Harris from the US won $200 USD

11th place: Elizabeth Lord from England won $150 USD

12th place: Sharmaine Gray from Canada won $150 USD

13th place: Dani Brand from the US won $150 USD

14th place: Ingrid Jendrzejewski from the United Kingdom won $150 USD

15th place: Bill Pillow won $150 USD

16th place: Henry Hudson from the US won $100 USD

17th place: Mark Runge from the US won $100 USD

18th place: Carolina Copes Scarano won $100 USD

19th place: Gregory Lang from the US won $100 USD

20th place: Erika Tovi won $100 USD

21st place: Julia from the US won $50 USD

22nd place: Katherine Garrison from the UK won $50 USD

23rd place: Emily Maggard from the US won $50 USD

24th place: Zu Felder from the US won $50 USD

25th place: Tolu Senok from the United Arab Emirates won $50 USD

26th place: Shakila Williams from the US won $50 USD

27th place: Julie Puckett from the US won $50 USD

28th place: Lindsay Rhodes won $50 USD

29th place: Cate Rogers from the United Kingdom won $50 USD

30th place: Thunder Savage from Canada won $50 USD

Congratulations to the following shortlist winners (top 7.5% of all entries). This group contains writers from age 9 to 67, representing 13 different countries.

*Note: if a name appears multiple times, then this writer submitted multiple pieces that made the longlist.

Adele Gallogly

Alina Jiang

Alison Palmer

Alysa Wakin

Ashley Staszak

Bill Pillow

Bree Turner

Carla Lottering

Carolina Copes Scarano

Cate Rogers

Chad Frame

Dani Brand

Daphne Loads

Deahna Fumarol

Dewy

Eliza Hamilton-Fairley

Elizabeth Lord

ellis jake solie

Emily Maggard

Erika Tovi

Fawn Ledesma Greene

Gregory Lang

Hayden Niemeyer

Hayley Harris

Hazel Hawthorne

Henry Hudson

Holly Sadowski

Ingrid Jendrzejewski

Jessie Amga

Jessie Brass

Jill L Martin

Jo Piazza

Joanna Zhou

Jodi Spotted Bear

Jonathan Chibuike Ukah

Jordan German

Julia

Julie Puckett

Katherine Garrison

Lindsay Rhodes

Lindy Huynh

Liya Khan

Lucia Galli

Mark Runge

Marta Spendowska

Michael Flowers

Mila Kaabipour

Molly M Remer

Nicole Beauchamp

Priyakshi Devasarma

Rohini Berry

Rose Spaziani

Rosey Karr

Scott Berzon

Shakila Williams

Sharmaine Gray

Shawnee Greene-Duarte

Steve Rempe

Suzanne Burns

Svetlana Litvinchuk

Sylvia Devoy

Tansy Witt

Thunder Savage

Tolu Senok

Valerie Alan

William Georges-Garcia

Ysanne Chen

Zu Felder

Congratulations to the following longlist winners (top 16% of all entries). This group contains writers from age 9 to 76, representing 17 different countries.

*Note: if a name appears multiple times, then this writer submitted multiple pieces that made the longlist.

Adele Gallogly

Aiden Ditmars

Alexandra Guiterman

Alina Jiang

Alison Palmer

Alysa Wakin

Amanda Nee

Anya Husain

Ashley Staszak

Becca Glantz

Benedetta Bambagioni

Bill Pillow

Bree Turner

Carla Lottering

Carolina Copes Scarano

Cate Rogers

Cathy Beres

Catriona Sinclair

Chad Frame

Clarissa Perkins

Constance Costa

Cyd Hughes

Dana Wall

Dani Brand

Daniel Stern

Daphne Biener

Daphne Loads

David Schairer

Deahna Fumarol

Dewy

Diana Grace

Eliza Hamilton-Fairley

Elizabeth Lord

Elizabeth Timmerman

Elizabeth Tucker

Ellie Aslanian

ellis jake solie

Eman A. E.

Emily Cardinas

Emily Gimenez

Emily Maggard

Emme Lee

Enid Till

Erika Tovi

Evelyn Daon Hwang

Fawn Ledesma Greene

Fiona Jensen

Gareth Holloway

Gregory Lang

Hannah

Hannah Jitsukawa

Hannah Paynter

Hayden Niemeyer

Hayes Belmont

Hayley Harris

Hazel Hawthorne

Henry Hudson

Holly Sadowski

Ingrid Jendrzejewski

Jamie Stronge

Jane Foley

Jessie Amga

Jessie Brass

Jill L Martin

Jo Piazza

Joanna Miller

Joanna Zhou

Jodi Spotted Bear

Jonathan Chibuike Ukah

Jordan German

Julia

Julia Reed

Julie Puckett

JulieAnn Cassol

Kate Casciato

Katelyn Claire Isaac

Katharyn Howd Machan

Katherine Garrison

Katherine Valvasori

Kathryn Jordan

Kaysie Culbertson

Kelly Hayes

Kip Pratt

Kristin Boldon

Lauren Ferebee

Leah LaRocco

Lindsay Rhodes

Lindy Huynh

Liya Khan

Lucia Galli

M Engle-Pratt

Magdalena

Margaret Anderson

Mark Runge

Marta Spendowska

Matthew Christensen

Max Taylor

Melissa Burnett

Michael Flowers

Mila Kaabipour

Molly M Remer

Myra Bisnik

Natalie Higgins

Nathalie Marin

Nicole Beauchamp

Nicole Cunningham

Nisha Kumari

Panika M. C. Dillon

Paraskevi Kakares

Paul Dufficy

Priyakshi Devasarma

R.L. Lynn

Rajendra prasad Gupta

Reese Balducci

Rekha Mehra

Rohini Berry

Rose Spaziani

Rose Z

Rosey Karr

S. S. Winterton

Scott Berzon

Shakila Williams

Sharmaine Gray

Sharon L. Cohen

Shawnee Greene-Duarte

Simon Baker

Steve Rempe

Sumayya Khan

Suraj Gupta

SUSAN FELDER

Suzanne Burns

Svetlana Litvinchuk

Sylvia Devoy

Tansy Witt

Thunder Savage

Todd Wynn

Tolu Senok

Tuong

Valerie Alan

Vanessa Adel

William Georges-Garcia

Yang, Ha-Yeon

Ysanne Chen

Zu Felder

Congratulations to our winners! And congratulations to everyone who dared to dream and created a little bit of inspiration in this world. You matter. Your dreams matter. Keep writing.

MORE INFO

Curious how you can create a winning entry? Request feedback on your entry and we'll tell you what we love about your piece as well as ways to make it even better.

You get tips right from the source custom-tailored to meet our judges' expectations, help you hone your craft, and create the kind of entry that's selected as a winner in the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest.

Thank You

Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has dared to dream and share your words, story, and heart with us. You matter. Your dreams matter. Keep writing.

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