The Long Dark
Congratulations to the longlist! These are the top stories from our Long Dark anthology contest that ran from July 1-September 30, 2025
Thank you to everyone who participated in our contest. Every single entry is worth celebrating and we are grateful to each writer who rose to the challenge and crafted a story along the theme of THE LONG DARK. Unfortunately, only seventeen stories will move on to the next stage of the competition where they will be read in full by the judging panel and narrowed down to a shortlist of eight that will go on to be published in an anthology. One grand prize winner will be chosen by our special guest judge, BENJAMIN REMPEL, and they will be awarded a cash prize of $280.
Congratulations to Anne Baldo, Peter Conrad, Sarah El Sioufi, Chris Fash, J. L. Genest, Solomon Goudsward, Lisa Jones, Debra Kennedy, Michael Maksimenko, Pamela McHugh, Claire McNeight, Desiree Nippard, Andrew Shaughnessy, Stephanie Silk, Lisa Zeltzer,Ronald Zajac, and Maciej Zakrzewski!
Click on any longlist title to read the blind excerpts.
Jake Cutler woke suddenly to the feeling of cold steel against his cheek and a foul odour in the air.
To hear Eyre tell it, he already knew the Fish was Holy when he saw how large it was, and how it shone.
“Hough, what are you thinking about?”