Interview with Claire Dalkin: Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up

Claire’s Bio: Claire Dalkin is a Library Assistant in the North of England (Sheffield). Some of her short stories have been published by the Wyrd Harvest Press and Minds Shine Bright, also the Nottingham Writers’ Studio, along with flash fiction for local newspapers. The writing bug bit her when she was eight, when she had her first story read out in School Assembly. She likes to take a small nugget of truth, wrap several layers of story around it and send it somewhere it’s never been before. 

If you haven't done so already, check out Claire's award-winning story "Big Changes in Small Worlds" and then return here for a chat with the author. 

WOW: Congratulations on placing in the Summer 2025 Flash Fiction Contest! What excited you most about writing this story? 

Claire: The story came quickly to me, in one big gulp, and I only tweaked it slightly for it to become a fairly 'crisp' piece of writing. I submitted it to an online writers' forum and the comments were so lovely and positive that I decided to enter it into the competition. 

WOW: That’s so encouraging to receive positive feedback on a piece before submitting for publication. What did you learn about yourself or your writing while crafting this piece? 

Claire: A teeny bit of this story is true, and something has been cemented in me about how a small piece of resistance can become something bigger and more impactful. 

WOW: That’s a lovely piece of wisdom. In what ways has being a library assistant influenced your writing and reading? 

Claire: I was always an avid reader, daydreamer, and scribbler. In class, I would write a chapter of a (usually fantasy) story and pass it around to any other students who were bored. Once I began working in libraries, I had instant access to an Aladdin's Cave of all my favourite treasures, as well as meeting people of like mind, setting up book clubs and creative writing sessions. 

WOW: Sounds like a wonderful environment to spark creativity. What are you reading right now, and why did you choose to read it? 

Claire: In my book club, we are reading The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. Sci-fi that is also interspersed with history, it is also an intelligent thriller and mystery, a fierce romance with some sharp comedy one-liners thrown in. It's delicious. 

WOW: It has a bit of everything! If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be and why? 

Claire: You won't regret it. 

WOW: Thank you so much for sharing your story and your thoughtful responses with us. Happy writing! 

 Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, founder and editor-in-chief of Sport Stories Press, which publishes sports books by, for, and about sportswomen and amateur athletes. Connect on social media: @greenmachine459.

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