Category: News

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Festival time

Festival time is a-coming. Not for me – at least not yet! – the heady heights of Hay, but I will be speaking at two writing festivals in April.

 

Abergavenny Writing Festival, Thursday, April 11th, 2.30pm

Do we all have a novel in us?

I’ll be on a panel with fellow authors Jack Strange, CG Menon and Penny Ellis. We’ll be in discussion with Abergavenny Focus Magazine editor Hannah Hill.

Aber Writing Fest

You can buy tickets here

 

Llandeilo Lit Fest, Saturday, April 27th, 2.15pm

Writing Novellas and Short Fiction

I’m excited to have my very own event at Llandeilo, where I’ll be in conversation with fellow writer Jane Fraser, whose debut collection of short stories, The South Westerlies, will be published by Salt in June.

Llandeilo Litfest

Buy tickets for that event here

 

And if you come to either, do be sure to come and say hello!

 

 

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Belated New Year Greetings

 

Happy New Year! And we’re nearly three weeks in already.

I’ve been doing final edits on my collection of short stories, The Garden of Earthly Delights. These stories are inspired by the extraordinary paintings and drawings of the Flemish artist Hieronymus Bosch. They will be winging their way in search of a publisher now.

And I’ll be getting on to other writing projects – developing a second novella, then pulling out the beginnings of a novel that I birthed doing NaNoWriMo, to see if that is going anywhere.

Meanwhile I’ll write flash pieces as and when.

Good luck with all your writing. What we call the ‘real’ world seems to be going crazy – I believe that writing and reading is part of our salvation.

 

the garden of earthly delights. detail

The Garden of Earthly Delights (detail), Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516)

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NaNoWriMo

Alongside thousands of other people round the world, I’ve signed up to write a novel in a month during November. The aim is 50,000 words and on day 18 I’m at 28,103, so I’m confident I can reach the target by the 30th.

This is not a competition, except insofar as any of us are competing with ourselves. I’m doing it because it’s a great kick up the backside to do something I’ve always said to date I’d never do!!!

So, here’s what I can tell you about my novel. The title is There is a Shape to Everything. Here’s what I wrote as a synopsis when I started:

Mother Miriam and daughter Sylvana travel to Kathmandu to celebrate their 50th and 21st birthdays respectively by taking a trek in the Himalayas together. 

Before they set off on the trek there is an earthquake and mother disappears. Sylvana pairs up with Vic, a Nepali maker of thangkas (Tibetan Buddhist paintings) whose son Prem has also disappeared. Together they travel in search of Miriam and Prem.

Back home in Wales, Tritta, a friend of Sylvana’s, receives messages from both her and Miriam which set her off on a journey of her own.

Tritta has not put in much of an appearance, but various other characters have, including a man with a scar in the shape of a snake on his forehead. He’s obviously a baddie…

And the imagery in the Buddhist paintings is pretty important, that’s for sure.

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Buddhist painting, Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery, Kathmandu.

Photo: Cath Barton

 

 

 

 

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Publication day!

My novella, The Plankton Collector, is out in the world. Flying free, as of today.

I”m very proud of this wee book.

Read about it here

Order your copy here

Post your rating and review here

Thank you!!

Plankton_covers_Final_web

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NEWS, NEWS, NEWS

I am just back from a few days of rest and inspiration in Paris. Here’s a pic:

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Friday Story no 3 is coming later this week, so do come back and read that.

Meanwhile, I have a new flash in the latest issue of Moonchild Magazine. Go take a read of all the splendid work in there. The link to my piece is on my Stories page.