Feeling flash

Tomorrow sees the UK's first-ever official celebration of short-short stories, micro fiction, nano fiction or flash fiction, whichever term you prefer. There will be events up and down the country, from writing workshops to flash slams, and here in Manchester two writing collectives are taking the lead to serve up fresh flash fiction throughout the day and evening.

FlashTag is a five-strong group of authors and Manchester Blog Awards winners, and they will be wandering around the city during the daytime offering up guerilla story-telling: flashmobbing flash fiction, if you like. The tour starts at the Whitworth Art Gallery at 10am and finishes at Waterstones Deansgate at 5pm, and in between the gang will be stopping off at various locations, including cultural centres, iconic buildings and public spaces. Follow them on Twitter for details of the venues as they are revealed: @flashtagmcr.

Bad Language are curating the evening affair, which starts at 7.30pm in 3 Minute Theatre on the ground floor of Afflecks Palace on Oldham Street. As well as showing clips of the FlashTaggers at work earlier, there will be readings of the ten pieces shortlisted in the recent National Flash-Fiction Day competition, judged by David Gaffney, Emma Jane Unsworth and Cathy Bryant.

See the National Flash-Fiction Day website for details of all the events and to get hold of a copy of the Jawbreakers anthology of short-short stories, which publishes tomorrow.