"Maryleen and Derek were among the interns undergoing training for a chance to get absorbed into the Nigerian Television Authority. Before their departure for street practical, their trainer revealed to them that the team that returned with the best news coverage gets the job."

"The Interns", written by Anthony Emecheta and narrated by Elisa Berkeley, was inspired by the keywords "congress", "art" and "jealousy".

Can you mash three randomly assigned words into a story of 500 words or fewer? Take the Mash Challenge at http://mashstories.com. 

The Interns by Anthony Emecheta

The Mash Stories Podcast showcased stories from our competition's shortlist. It no longer posts new episodes, but please enjoy some stories from our archives!

Our writers take three unlikely words and turn them into an absorbing tale of 500 words. The winners receive $100, also payable in bitcoin.

Mash Stories also offers a blog filled with tips for setting your pen to paper in the first place. We provide a podcast that narrates all of our competitions’ shortlisted stories.