microlitri

Microlitri is a label used to describe ultra-short works of literature produced for digital and print publication. These pieces typically consist of 20 to 150 words and can appear as microfiction or micropoetry, often in a single paragraph or a brief line structure. The hallmark of microlitri is precision and immediacy: a single moment, image, or idea is presented with heightened sensory detail, sometimes culminating in a twist, an ambiguity, or a reframing of what came before. Visual layout, typography, or accompanying imagery are common, especially in online formats.

The term emerged in digital literary circles during the 2010s and 2020s as editors and writers sought a name for ultra-short works published on blogs, microblogs, and online journals. There is no single inventor or institution behind microlitri; rather, its use reflects a broader trend toward concision in contemporary writing. The form is intentionally flexible, allowing prose-like micro-narratives and poem-like fragments alike, and frequently crosses boundaries between fiction and poetry.

Microlitri are widely distributed through online magazines, social media posts, and digital chapbooks, and have been gathered into anthologies and curated collections. Critics emphasize both their accessibility in mobile contexts and the craft required to convey meaning with minimal text. See also microfiction, micropoetry, flash fiction, and digital literature.