Saturday 30 May 2015

Genus: Spring issue of December Magazine

"My brother was born strange. As a child, he spent hours gazing into the distance, clenching and tapping his fingers, all when he was supposed to be minding the seedlings. 
You only had to walk one end of the greenhouse to the other, taking the watering can in hand. You gave every tray a sprinkle, more if the earth was dry. Each day the seedlings grew a little; it was part of the job to keep an eye on them, see whether they had grown big enough to go out into the furrows outside. I'd been doing it myself since I was six, and tall enough just to see over the shelves. But my brother, though he had been doing it longer, did it poorly. He would put the can down at the end of the hut and look out of the window, mouthing words as if there were somebody standing on the other side – somebody none of the rest of us could see."

My story, Genus, appears in the Spring 2015 issue of December Magazine. You can buy the mag (or read the story - you have to write your name & your email address in the boxes, it's really easy) by following this link

As ever, it's really exciting to have a story appear in print! And particularly exciting to appear in December, which is a really long-running and very established literary magazine. It was in this magazine where the early stories of Raymond Carver & Joyce Carol Oates first appeared. It's exciting to be amongst such distinguished company! 

Currently reading

Angels Denis Johnson
The Man in the High Castle Philip K Dick

Thursday 7 May 2015

Short Story writing workshop


Hi! Sorry for the total radio silence. The reason for my quietness (on here at least, not on Twitter) is because I've been ferreting away on some short stories. I've been really busy and now I nearly have enough for a full collection.

Anyway, I'm running a Short story writing workshop as part of the Big Bookend Festival, in Leeds. The workshop is entitled "Ideas are everywhere!" and it's about finding ideas for short stories everywhere you look. It's on Saturday 6th June at 1.00 and tickets are £3. You can book through the Big Bookend website

More soon. 

Currently reading

The Keep Jennifer Egan 
Ubik Philip K Dick