What a lovely evening last night at the Leftbank Centre in Bristol where I guested at the Stoke Croft Writers event Talking Tales. Some great writing/reading on display, especially from Anita Maccallum, Christie Cluett and Mel Ciavucco. I recommend it. (I read my story 'The Fish it Was that Died')
The authors of the eleven stories I shortlisted for the Evesham Festival of Words Short Short Competition, and which will appear in a printed anthology, have now been informed of their success. The outright winner, which I have already chosen, will be announced at the Festival on Friday 1 July.
Stokes Croft Writers have chosen my story 'The Fish it was That Died' for me to read at their Talking Tales event on Saturday 16 April at the Leftbank Centre, 128 Cheltenham Road, Bristol, BS6 5RW. Thank you, Stoke Crofts Writers.
I have now chosen the winner and ten excellent stories for the 2016 Evesham Festival of Words Short Story Competition anthology. I have also written my Judge's Statement. So, over to the organisers now to inform the authors.
Click here to listen to the actor Olly Langdon reading my little story 'Orly' live at Bath's Story Friday at Burdall's Yard in Bath on 1 April 2016.
I am judging this short story competition which is on the theme of 'One Extra Day'. Submissions have now closed and I must choose a winner and up to nine others to be published in an anthology.
I, or rather my new story 'Orly', will make its debut at Bath Fridays' story reading event this Friday 1 April at Burdall's Yard in Bath at 8pm. Actor Oliver Langdon will read it in the Deep South accent it requires!
The event takes place about four times a year and is Bath's equivalent of Stroud Short Stories.
Link here.
Submissions closed on 19 March. We received 95 stories from 70 authors. My fellow judge Nimue Brown and I have now chosen the ten to be read on the evening.
These will appear on the SSS website soon.
Tickets available from the SVA online in advance only
My new story 'Da' has been short-listed with nine other stories for the 2016 Chipping Norton LitFest Short Story Competition. There were 265 entries. The winning three stories will now be chosen from the ten by the celebrated short story writer Tessa Hadley.
Four short flash fiction pieces - Moustache, Treacle, Anti-Aging Acid and Belinda's Diets are published today in the Earlyworks Press anthology 'The Ball of the Future'.
Available from all good book shops as well as Amazon here
To coincide with the first Stroud Book Festival the autumn Stroud Short Stories event will be held on Sunday 20 November 2016 at 8pm at the SVA, John Street, Stroud, GL5 2HA.
An excellent evening of short story readings on Sunday 21 February at the Southbank Centre in Bristol. As well as me, Debbie Young, Dan Gooding, Mark Rutterford and Emily Koch were guest readers. About 50 people attended.
Creative writing lecturer/tutor Lawrence Cotterell will be using some of my stories as exemplars as part of the Creative Writing Course at Gloucestershire University later this year.
I am lucky enough to be reading my story 'True' (short listed for the 2015 Yeovil Literary Prize) at the Writers Unchained event 'St Valentine's Day Hangover' at the Southbank Club/Centre in Bristol tonight (Sunday 21/02/16). Other writers reading are Ali Bacon, Debbie Young, Dan Gooding, Mark Rutterford, Shirley Wright, Patrick Widdess, Sally Hare, Emily Koch and Louise Gethin. ( I have a terrible cold!)
All info here -
I am very pleased indeed that my story 'True' has been chosen by the Unchained Writers of Bristol for their St Valentine's Day Hangover event to be held at the Southmead Centre in Bedminster, Bristol on Sunday 21 February. I will be reading it. Other readers/writers include Debbie Young, Ali Bacon and Dan Gooding.
All info here
'Three Legs' has been published today by the US website 101Words. Yes, it has 101 words.
It's here
Stroud Short Stories next event will be on Sunday 24 April 2016 at 8pm at the SVA, John Street, Stroud, GL5 2HA. This will be our eleventh event. We are now open for submissions.
All information is on the SSS website -
http://stroudshortstories.blogspot.co.uk/
The US website 101Words has "tentatively" scheduled the publication of my story 'Three Legs' for Wednesday 13 January 2016.
How lovely to start 2016 with a story being accepted. I submitted 'Three Legs', an exactly 101 word story, to 101 Words yesterday (3 Jan) and received a response this morning (4 Jan). This was the response - "Thank you for your submission - what a lovely story! I enjoyed the flow and humour. We are interested in publishing it - let me get back to you with a tentative publishing date." Lovely.
I will be reading short stories and chairing/Mcing the short stories section of the 2016 Hawkesbury Upton LitFest on Saturday 23 April 2016.