This and that, oh and this

May has always been one of my favourite months, and now there a new reason to love it. National Flash Fiction Day, the brainchild of Calum Kerr, falls on May 16th and promises all manner of exciting stuff across the UK and worldwide. I'm delighted to be in Jawbreakers, a new anthology that celebrates the big day, alongside favourite authors including Sara Crowley, Tania Hershman, Vanessa Gebbie, Jon Pinnock and the King of Flash himself, Calum Kerr. Officially out on May 16th, Jawbreakers can be pre-ordered now. There's even a headline flash by Ali Smith, and one by Ian Rankin.

Speaking of new anthologies, I've taken on the role of Author Publicist for Pangea, which is being published by Thames River Press in July. Our new blog is up and running, with links to author websites and stories. Featuring 25 authors across 13 countries, Pangea is a genuinely international collection of short stories by writers who, at one time or another, were part of the online writing forum, WriteWords.

I'm hoping for news soon of the Word Riot 10th Anniversary anthology, which includes my very short flash, You Won't Know We're Here. Word Riot published my story, Taking the Cinder Path Down to the Sea in 2011. It will be interested to see how Word Riot (now with the suffix, Inc) publish the anthology. I'd love to think it might be even just half as beautiful as My Mother Was an Upright Piano, Tania Hershman's new collection, published by Bristol small press, Tangent Books, and one of the most stunning books I've seen (and read) in a long time.

The launch was a huge success, with readings and signings in a packed Arnolfini bookshop. The perfect celebration of independent publishing, where raw talent fuses with passionate professionalism to show the larger industry how these things can be best done. Congratulations to Tania and to Tangent Books!

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