Tag Archives: #shortstories

Plug into FaxFiction

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Old technology – we all used it, and it’s still there: cassette tapes, floppy discs, videos, 35mm slides, overhead projectors, Ansaphones, games consoles, View-Masters, faxes, Dictaphones, reel to reel, Ceefax… How did we function with these ancient machines, these relics of the future?

Hopefully these six writers hold the answer: Writer-in-Residence at Manchester’s Victoria Baths Sarah-Clare Conlon, Sawn-off Tales author David Gaffney, John Rylands Library Writer-in-Residence Rosie Garland, Creative Writing lecturer Valerie O’Riordan, Bad Language host Fat Roland and Nicholas Royle, series editor of Best British Short Stories.

FAXFICTION 2019

FAXFICTION 2019

In FaxFiction, six brand-new short stories will focus on old technologies, and will each be performed using artefacts gathered especially for the event. Made uniquely for the Refract:19 festival, which takes place annually at Greater Manchester arts centre Waterside, this unique show on Saturday 27 July will also feature the live premiere of an installation commissioned from sound artist Gary Fisher.

Tickets cost £8 (£6 concessions) – book here.

The Short Story with Claire Keegan

Short story course held on 13 and 14 April at The River Mill’s Retreat, Co. Down. 10am to 5pm, both days.

This weekend course will explore the short story using works from the anthology You’ve Got to Read This (ed. by Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard). Participants will be asked to consider:

  • How fiction works — and why it sometimes doesn’t

  • Where and when stories begin and how and if this differs from the novel

  • The differences between a short story and the novel / a chapter

  • Beginnings, Middles, Endings: Narrative Structure

To book, contact ckfictionclinic@yahoo.com. Tuition is £300. Lunch and tea are provided for all. There are only two places left. Visit CKFictionClinic for full details.

Claire Keegan has written Antarctica, Walk the Blue Fields and Foster (Faber & Faber). These stories, translated into 17 languages, have won numerous awards, and have been published in The New Yorker, Best American Stories, The Paris Review. Keegan has earned an international reputation as a teacher of fiction, having taught workshops on four continents.

Three launch events for An Outbreak of Peace

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Join Arachne Press to celebrate our latest book

An Outbreak of Peace

 

LONDON! Housmans 14th November

The official publication date for this anthology of new short stories and poems in response to the end of WWI, An Outbreak of Peace is the 8th November, but we are having the launch party on

Wednesday 14th, at Housmans radical bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, N1 9DX,

with readings from Clare Owen, CB Droege, Katy Darby, Chantal Heaven (fiction);

Karen Ankers, Valerie Bence, Peter Kenny, Sarah Tait (poetry).

There will also be a poppy-seed cake, and other, liquid, refreshments.

£3 on the door, redeemable against purchase of the book. (let us know you are coming cherry@arachnepress.com)

 

MANCHESTER! Blackwells 30th November

As our authors are spread all over the globe, we are trying to give as many of them as possible an opportunity to celebrate the launch in person. We can’t afford to jaunt off to the US and Australia, or even Germany or France, but we can manage Manchester!

Northern fans of poetry and short fiction are invited to join us at Blackwells, Manchester. Near Arthur Lewis Building, The University of Manchester Bridgeford Street, M13 9PL

on 30th November at 6.30pm

There will be readings from

Rebecca Skipwith,  Lily Peters, (fiction)

Ness Owen, Sarah Tait, Mantz Yorke, and Valerie Bence, (poetry)

and cake and liquid refreshment.

Tickets are free. https://bit.ly/2CQcuVT

 

And finally, for now, a reading by Clare Owen of her story from the collection, The Cormorant, at Lost in Books, Quay Street, Lostwithiel, PL22 0BS on 16th November 2018 6pm
If you can’t make it to ANY of the launches, you can order a copy direct from us at our web shop (post free in UK!)

Launching We/She

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Arachne Press are excited to be launching We/She on 16th August at 6.45pm

Blackwells, 50 High Holborn London WC1V 6EP

We/She is their latest Liars’ League collaboration and the second of their #WomenVote100 tributes – although there isn’t a suffragette in sight. Instead they play around with traditional ideas about women, and turn a few (actually, a lot of) myths on their heads. Expect dragons, mermaids, ‘dead wives’, mediums, mothers… and Elvis.
It’s free and there will be readings and refreshments, and, obviously, signed books to buy.

Authors Reading… Joanne LM Williams, Arike Oke, Carolyn Eden, Katy Darby,

Ilora Choudhury, Fiona Salter, Elizabeth Stott, Rosalind Stopps

elizabeth stott Katy Darby headshot Moby big

Other authors are attending, so there will be lots of people to sign a copy of the book for you.

The launch coincides with the 39th anniversary of the death of Elvis… what has that to do with a book of stories by women, you ask… come along and find out!
RSVP

Last Chance To Enter The Brighton Prize

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The Brighton Prize for short fiction closes to entries at midnight on July 1st. Until then we are accepting short stories and flash fiction from international authors. There’s £2,000 in prize money up for grabs including a £1,000 first prize for short story and a special local prize for a Sussex writer.

All our winners are published in our anthology and sometimes in other journals. Last year’s flash winner Haleh Agar was published in local magazine Viva Brighton and we’re always looking for ways to get our winners noticed, we also had two launches one in Brighton and one at Golden Hare Books in Edinburgh!

Our judges this year include Booker nominated and Edge Hill Prize short-listee, Alison MacLeod, ace literary agent, Sarah Manning and Brighton Prize Director, Erinna Mettler.

Send us your best – please read the T & Cs first!

www.brightonprize.com

Brighton Prize Poster 18

Infinity Words (Bunbury issue 19 is here!)

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Hello hello fans of Bunbury Magazine, we’re back so pop on your fancy gem encrusted glove, pause from attempting to rule the universe and relax with the latest issue.
The theme this time was Infinity and whoowee, do we have some excellent content to share with you! From the front cover to the logo on the back page, we think this will be right up your street.
‘But how do we buy this magnificent display of work from authors and artists from around the world’? I hear you cry. Well, if you click on the pictures of the front covers below, your quest will come to an end.
You can get the physical version of the magazine here:
Please note that the physical copy includes Short Stories, Flash Fiction and Poetry.

Bunbury 19 print

And we have digital copies for sale here:
Please note that the digital copy includes bonus content.

Bunbury 19 cover

We really had a lot of fun putting this issue together and we hope you enjoy it.
FUN FACT! If you buy the physical copy
We also, as always have our back catalogue for you get stuck into, just click on the picture to unlock the gateway to Bunbury issues past. Not future though, what do you think this is, The Eye Agamotto? No, it isn’t. Sorry. We’ll try and sort that out for next time.

Issue 17 Spiral

And now dear reader, allow us to make a horrifically dated music reference.
*eh hem*
What’s that coming in to your ears is it a podcast? Is it a podcast!
*takes bow painfully aware of the void of silence*

Yes! That’s right! You heard us, Bunbury Magazine now has not one, but TWO PODCASTS, oh my word! The rumours were true!

The Just Write Speaks podcasts are recordings of out Spoken Word night that we hold in Bury Lancs on the last Tuesday of the month of the same name. There really are some smashing spoken word artist performing wonderful stuff.

The Bunbury Speaks podcast is, not to give too much away, an interview podcast with a twist that we think you’ll really like. Intrigued? Good. You should be.

Tell you what, why don’t you give it a listen? Just click the picture below and you shall be transported to Bury’s best regular spoken word night or our studio where you can hear talk to some marvelous people!

Issue 15 Spiral

And finally, we’re open for submissions dear, dear friends.
The theme this time is ‘Run’ and we’re looking forward to reading all of the lovely submissions.
If you would like to submit, please click on the poster below to find out how!
We look forward to hearing from you!

issue-20-theme

Well, lots of news there huh? We’re going to leave you to it and we’ll speak to you next time.
OKTHANKSLOVEYOUBYE!

World Kindness Day Party- stories can change the world

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November 13th is World Kindness Day, and we at White Rabbit are celebrating it with a FREE storytelling event at Arts Admin!

World Kindness Day Party

Fundraiser, book launch and the “Story of Kindness” extravaganza!

When: Monday 13th November 2017 7.30pm- late
How much: FREE- donate whatever you are able to
Where: Arts Admin,Toynbee Studios,28 Commercial St, London E1 6AB. Tube: Aldgate East
Details here (no need to book just turn up or let us know you are coming on our facebook page here):

The Little Book of Kindness

What’s occuring?:
Bernadette will be telling a story and reading from her new book “The Little Book of Kindness”, there will also be short stories on the theme of kindness from storytellers Heather Burton, Jules Craig and Vanessa Woolf, plus a poem from Dan Thompson and some surprises on the night. We will be joined by representatives from 999 club, a homeless charity in SE London for whom we will be fundraising on the night. They will be showing  a film of their work and letting us know how to get involved.  There’s free party food, nice music, a bar serving cocktails in teapots, and a chance to join in crafting/creative writing by sharing your own story of kindness on the night. We hope to counter the negative narrative about our fellow humans, share more positive stories, and have fun!
Bernadette’s books will be on sale on the night, all profits to go to the 999 club.

“Be Kind” sign from People United

NEWS FLASH! we’re mega proud to announce that we have been chosen as one of the recipients of People United’s Be Kind signs, which will be on proud display in our HQ in Deptford from the 13th November!

Come join us and help change the world!

 

Submissions Call Issue 18 & Edinburgh!

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Hello dear readers!
Just a quick one this time.
Here at Bunbury Magazine  we are, once again open for submissions! Want to find out how or what our guidelines are? Take a look at our Submit To Us section on our webpage.
This time, we’ve gone for the theme of ‘The Hunt’. We hope this will be a lot of fun so feel free to use it as a prompt but as always, we’re looking forward to seeing all of the different interpretations.
Also in the this issue will be the interviews from all of the fantastic performers we met at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!
Haven’t had a chance to read our last issue yet? Take a look here at issue 16 it’s packed full of the good stuff.

We hope to hear from you soon!
Get Scribbling,
Christopher & Keri,
Bunbury Magazine

Autumn Chronicles: Speed-Book Clubbing with four shorts translated from Chinese

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Are you within reach of London and interested in contemporary Chinese fiction? Come to “Autumn Chronicles: Book Clubbing with Britain’s Most Loved Translators” at the Guanghwa Bookshop, 112 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 5EJ, on Tuesday, 5 September 2017 from 19:30 to 21:00 (BST). Join us for face-to-face discussions with four award-winning Chinese literature translators: Nicky Harman, Natascha Bruce, Emily Jones and Helen Wang. Themed “Autumn Chronicles”, our forthcoming speed-bookclub will present four tales in which four women are coming to the end of their lives. Liu Ting’s Autumn Harvest Chronicles, a woman reflects on a grim past as she harvests the family’s buckwheat; in Ho Sok Fong’s The Wall, a giant wall drives an old woman to search obsessively for a cat; In Fan Xiaoqing’s Ying Yang Alley, a surprise visit from a stranger brightens an old lady’s afternoon; in Jia Pingwa’s elegiac Back-flow River, a childless woman makes the bravest decision of her life. These elegantly-written stories, by both male and female authors, are both sad and funny but always readable. There will be plenty to discuss! Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/autumn-chronicles-book-clubb…

Competition Longlist and Other Stories

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Hello from all at Short Fiction…

We are thrilled to announce this year’s competition longlist, which you can see here. Huge congratulations to all who made the cut, and thank you to everyone who entered – some 450 stories.
The shortlist will be announced on Friday 16th June, the winner shortly after.

A bit of an announcement… A little heavy-hearted, but we’ve concluded that Issue 10 will be our final print edition. It’s been an amazing journey, one we owe most thanks to founding editor Anthony Caleshu. In ten years we’ve published around 120 short stories from across the world, discovering along the way some fabulous new voices, writers who have gone on to great literary successes. It’s been a delight to edit their work, to commission illustrations to accompany it. A glance at our back issues are, we hope, testament to the quality of fiction we’ve put out there.

   

In short the literary journal is a niche publication, one that must constantly battle for existence, and although we will continue to publish fiction online, to grow our archive of stories, we are no longer in a position to put out a physical book. We thank you all for your support over the years – some of you might even possess all ten issues – and by way of gratitude, we’ve reduced the last box of Issue 10s to just £5 each. So if you want to grab a piece of history, best be quick.

Our ever popular short story masterclass continues online, a 5-week course you can sign up for here. More and more of our students are seeing work written here published, including in one case an entire collection. Next course kicks off on June 18th and dates for future ones will appear soon.

There remains some wonderfully innovative journals out there, their presence vital in the unveiling of exciting new voices, authors who may never emerge without them, so we urge you to support them when you can.

For now, in terms of things you can touch and feel, farewell…

Tom Vowler
Editor

Write and Edit a Short Story in a Weekend

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This two-day course (8th-9th April) from London Lit Lab is designed to get you both writing and editing, by combining dedicated creative time with an intensive tour through ways to improve your draft.

On day one, we’ll kick off by exploring ways to turn our ideas into full stories, from getting first words down to finishing a draft. You will then have ample time and space (and tea and cake) to write, in the quiet company of fellow scribblers.

On day two, we will work through a series of editing approaches, which you will be able to apply to your own work.

This course is suitable for both beginners and committed writers. By the end of the course you will have a draft piece of work, and a range of editing skills to apply to it!

We’ll be based at a beautiful, luxurious location in East London, and the course will be led by two writers, Lily Dunn and Zoe Gilbert.

For more information about the course, and to read testimonials from previous London Lit Lab course attendees: http://www.londonlitlab.co.uk/?page_id=343

Short Fiction Prize 2017

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Short Fiction is delighted to announce the 2017 short story prize is now open for entries. First prize is £500 plus publication, and the runner-up receives £100. Third prize receives a place on our online masterclass. Entry fee £7 per story. The deadline is March 31st. Click here for details of how to enter. Good luck.

And why not get your literary year off to a fabulous start and treat yourself to our online short story masterclass, taught by award-winning authors and editors. Study from anywhere.

We have a few copies of Issue 10 left, which includes Nick Holdstock, Kit de Waal, Colin Barrett, Ríona Judge McCormack, Inderjeet Mani, plus our competition winner, Michelle Coyne.

Plus there’s online fiction and interviews with some of the world’s best writers.

From all at Short Fiction, we wish you a lovely and literary 2017.

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“Tree of Light” at Lighthouse Poole

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White Rabbit’s Bernadette Russell is telling her story The Tree of Light at a Wintertime Event at the Lighthouse Poole on Sunday 27th November. It’s a folktale for the 21st century, a reminder of the power of hope and love in troubled times.

“A very long time ago, this land was all forest. At the heart of the forest was a very special tree, that everyone spoke of, but only a few had seen: the Tree of Light. It is said that this tree is the keeper of all our hopes and dreams… it is said that in the darkest hours of night as we lay dreaming, something magical happened…

english_oak_tree_in_winter__sweden

But this was all a long time ago. The forest is no longer here. The forest  is only a distant memory to the eldest citizens, the forest’s whose whispering trees can still be heard. Where there were trees, there are roads, houses, shops…so what becomes of our hopes and dreams now? And what happened to the Tree of Light?”

Come and find out, and listen to this magical mid winter story, full of forest creatures familiar and unfamiliar, night time adventures and poetry. Plus you will be invited to add your own stars to the Tree of Light, and the opportunity to have your wishes come true.

night-sky-hd-wallpaper-2

FREE and suitable for all ages. Please go here for times and information

 

The Ham – Final call for submissions

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THE HAM HEADER PICTURE

This is a final call for submissions from free literary & arts zine The Ham.

We have set a final submission deadline for our first issue of September 1st, and we hope to go to print by the end of that month. The response to our initial calls for submissions has been fantastic, but we still have a few pages to fill with your short stories, poetry, and visual arts.

The theme for the first issue is the letter ‘A’. Interpret that how you will.

Please send all submissions to thehamfreepress@gmail.com

For submission guidelines see https://thehamfreepress.wordpress.com/submit/

We look forward to hearing from you.

Ed

Short Fiction – Issue 10

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We are thrilled to show you the cover for Short Fiction‘s forthcoming issue, due this autumn.

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There are 13 beautifully illustrated stories from around the world.

180 pages featuring Nick Holdstock, Kit de Waal, Colin Barrett, Inderjeet Mani, plus our competition winner, Michelle Coyne.

Our featured artist is Lisa Stokes. You can pre-order your copy (only £8) by following this link.

As ever, we are grateful for all your support.

Inspire us with your true travel tales

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Travel, Indien, India

Here we go!  Launching the 2016 Ouen Press Short Story Competition

Ouen Press are pleased to extend an invitation for writers to submit an original short story in line with this year’s theme – ‘The Journey’. Winning authors will receive cash prizes and be published in an anthology early in the New Year. This follows on from the success of last year’s competition and subsequent publication of the winning entries in Last Call & other short stories.

The short story must be true, but can be about a journey in any setting, of any distance, or at any time. The judges will be particularly interested in well-written pieces about encounters that have profoundly thrilled, possibly terrified or provided humour. The ideal submission will elicit a strong emotional response conveying travel experiences where the writer’s life has been transformed or enlightened as a result.

Deadline for entries is 31st October 2016 – full information and rules of the competition, which is open to writers worldwide, can be found at www.ouenpress.com

For updates on our activities – come follow us on Twitter @OuenP

NEW for 2016 – We’d be thrilled if you Like our Facebook page

Call for Submissions – Avis Magazine

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With Avis Magazine Issue 2 at the printers and on its way into a store near your (sort of), we’re opening our call up for Issue 3.

For our third issue, we want our submissions to focus on ‘Influence’. Influence: the workings of others, of alcohol, of emotion, on our own actions. Influence: the flowing in, the arrival of the foreign, the secret operations of history. Give us your Unconscious influences. Tell us the influences you wish you had, but don’t. Perhaps you want to tell us about your idol. Perhaps you want to tell us about what you did when you last got off your head. Perhaps you write to honour David Bowie. Perhaps you’re obsessed with him. Perhaps you’re obsessed with nothing, influenced by nothing: totally pure. What does it mean to be shaped and changed by another? What does it mean to shape and change?

A few stipulations. Please the rules for submission on our website closely; we are inevitably better disposed towards work that meets our requirements.

General Submissions

Closing date is 23 May 2016.

Send your work in standard manuscript format.

Send us short prose, send us poetry, send us precise non-fiction. Send us photography and illustration.

That’s all folks. Happy Spring.

The Avis Team

 

 

 

short story masterclass

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Short Fiction‘s first 5-week online masterclass filled up quickly, so if you missed out, we go again on March 6th. The course has been written and designed by our editors, who are all published authors and creative writing lecturers, and mines their wealth of experience, knowledge and passion for this most demanding of literary forms. Our aim is to unravel some of the mysteries and complexities of the short story, guiding you through the art and craft of composing pieces.

This immersion into the short story will include weekly feedback on your submitted work, the goal to produce a publishable piece by the end of the course. Study at home in your own time. Topics covered include:

A brief history of the short story

What makes stories come to life, and how to build them

Character, voice, narrative tension and dialogue

Beginnings and endings. Or just middles?

Obliquity, subtext, structure and lacunae

Less is more: the art of editing

Follow the link from our page here to find out more, and get your writing year off to a fabulous start.

Short Fiction Prize 2016

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We are delighted to announce our 2016 short story prize is now open for entries.
First prize is £500 plus publication, and the runner-up receives £100.
This year’s judge is award-winning poet and short story writer, Graham Mort.
The deadline is March 31st. Click here for more details of how to enter.
Good luck.

And why not get the year off to a fabulous start and treat yourself to our online short story masterclass, taught by award-winning authors and editors.

We only have a few copies of Issue 9 left – fiction by Toby Litt, Carol Mavor, Cynan Jones, Luke Kennard and Mary O’Donoghue, plus our competition winner. Artwork by David Shrigley – which you can order here.

Our new fiction page features stories from our archives, plus new work.

And look out for our series of interviews with some of the best short story writers out there.

From all at Short Fiction, we wish you a lovely and literary 2016.

Solstice Shorts 2015: Longest Night

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Longest Night Moon logo

After the success of last year’s first ever Solstice Shorts Festival, Arachne Press is doing it again, although in a slightly shorter version.

The Winter Solstice (21st December ) is Short Story Day, and as this year it falls inconveniently on a Monday, we are having our event from 19:00 to 22:30 and have taken Longest Night as our theme, which our writers have interpreted widely.

winter, cold, extreme weather, floods,

night, loss,  danger,  lovers, regret, mourning, strangers, death, space, loneliness

midwinter, hope, ritual,  endings,  thresholds, solstice, renewal, community

but our midwinter is anything but bleak!

Stories  from

Cherry Potts, David Mathews, David McVey, Frances Gapper, Neil Brosnan, Pauline Walker, Sarah Evans, Wendy Gill.

Poems from

Abigail Beckel, Bob Beagrie,  Sarah James

Read by actors: Patsy Prince, Annalie Wilson, Saul Reichlin, Lorraine Spenceley

Interspersed with music from

Ian Kennedy & Sarah Lloyd Vocal Chords and Annalie Wilson (yes, the same one).

Join us at West Greenwich Library, Greenwich High Road SE10 8NN

Free! (but donations welcome) Tickets available on EventBrite (which helps us keep track of numbers) or just turn up on the night. Mulled Cider/ apple juice for those who get there while it lasts, so we can Wassail properly.