Reading & Q&A with NZ writer Frankie McMillan

 I'm so excited about my first event as Arvon's writer-in-residence: hosting an online reading and Q&A on Wed Nov 23 at 7.15pm UK time with brilliant NZ flash writer & poet Frankie McMillan - one of my new favourite writers! Here's the beginning of one of her flash stories, published in Cleaver magazine, to whet your appetite:

 

SEVEN STARTS TO THE WOMAN WHO WENT OVER THE FALLS IN A BARREL
Annie Edson Taylor, 1901
by Frankie McMillan

1

Picture the cold dark inside of the barrel. Annie feeling her way over the padded mattress to a harness hanging from the side. The barrel sways in the water. Picture her fastening herself upright into the harness, pulling the leather strap tight across her chest. Picture Annie flailing about, she can’t find her lucky heart-shaped pillow. Now picture the barrel picking up speed, with the current, heading straight towards the falls.

2

It’s not as if falling was something new. Early on, I fell from my crib, I fell through haystacks, I fell from grace, I fell behind the church to kiss the bridesmaids, I fell between heaven and hell then into marriage

 ...

 

Read the full story here https://cleavermagazine.com/seven-starts-to-the-woman-who-went-over-the-falls-in-a-barrel-by-frankie-mcmillan - book your ticket here https://www.arvon.org/writing-courses/courses-retreats/how-i-write-frankie-mcmillan/. See you there!

Novel Nights Short Story Special This Thurs, Bristol

EDITED: sadly, I wasn't well enough to go but I hear a great time was had by all, and I look foward perhaps to reading at Novel Nights another time!

I'm really looking forward to appearing at the Novel Nights' Short Story Special this Thurs March 19th at The Landsdown, in Bristol. The poor organisers had to put up with me saying to them for the past year, But you do know I don't write novels? Until it was explained that it's not ALWAYS novelists that they invite...  I am dense and annoying! Alongside wonderful writers Freya Morris, Ken Elkes, Judy Darley, Louise Gethin and Thomas Parker, I'll be reading some stories (and, shh, some poems too) and talking about writing and probably about permission, one of my favourite themes. Please do come if you're nearby!

Short Story Evening with Jon McGregor, Eliza Robertson and Lucy Wood

I'm getting excited now about this event I am chairing next Wed - here are the details! Any questions you'd like me to ask them - about permission in writing, in particular?

Short Story Evening with Jon McGregor, Eliza Robertson and Lucy Wood

chaired by Tania Hershman

Date: Wednesday 25^th February
Time: 6pm for 6.30pm. Ends 7.45pm
Place: Bloomsbury Publishing, 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP. Click here to book

Tania Hershman delves into the imaginations of three wonderful Bloomsbury short story writers, Jon McGregor, Eliza Robertson and Lucy Wood, asking them about the weird and fabulous worlds they create in their short stories - from underwater husbands and memories entangled with catfish to how to trap hummingbirds, relinquish drams gracefully, feed raccoons without getting bitten, and fenland creations of things buried and unearthed.

Jon, Eliza and Lucy will reflect on the risks they take in their stories and on what and who gives them permission to try new things. They’ll discuss how they write these clever, surreal and minimalist short stories that ask the reader to play a part in their creation, as well as their own personal taboo topics, why they write and what it unravels for them.

 ‘Each time I find a new short story I love, it cracks open a window and lets fresh air into my own writing’ Tania Hershman

‘McGregor is the contemporary master of lives lived in what the Irish call a small way, and the belief, which is literature’s, that we are all poetic’ Linda Grant, Financial Times

Jon McGregor is the author of the critically acclaimed This Isn't the Sort of Thing That Happens to Someone Like You, If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, So Many Ways to Begin and Even the Dogs. He is the winner of the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Betty Trask Prize and the Somerset Maugham Award, and has been twice longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He was runner-up for the BBC National Short Story Award in both 2010 and 2011, with 'If It Keeps on Raining' and 'Wires' respectively. He was born in Bermuda in 1976. He grew up in Norfolk and now lives in Nottingham. www.jonmcgregor.com @jon_mcgregor
Eliza Robertson is the author of Wallflowers, her debut short story collection. She was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1987 and grew up on Vancouver Island. She studied creative writing and political science at the University of Victoria and then pursued her MA in prose fiction at the University of East Anglia. While there she received the Man Booker Scholarship and the Curtis Brown Prize for best writer. Robertson is now a highly celebrated short story writer; in 2013, she won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize and was a finalist for the Journey and CBC Short Story prizes. She currently lives in Norwich and is working on completing her first novel. @ElizaRoberts0n

 

 

Lucy Wood is the author of a critically acclaimed collection of short stories based on Cornish folklore Diving Belles. She has been longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize and was a runner-up in the BBC National Short Story Award. She has also been awarded the Holyer an Gof Award and a Somerset Maugham Award. Lucy Wood has a Master’s degree in creative writing from Exeter University. Her debut novel, Weathering, is published this January 2015. She lives in Devon.
Book tickets here >>>

Writing Short Stories... A Xmas giveaway!

It's here!

I'm delighted to unveil Writing Short Stories: A Writers & Artists Companion, co-written and co-edited by Courttia Newland and me, and with 20 VERY FINE guest writers in the centre. It's all about writing and all about short stories, from so many angles and perspectives, and with no "shoulds" and no "rules", and perhaps a little ranting (by me) about the "shoulds" and the "rules" that tried to deny me permission in the past. Permission. Something to be given. Yup.

Anyway, to celebrate, I'm going to give away a copy and all you have to do is comment here (by Jan 1st) and tell us who or what gave YOU permission, in some way, in your life. Am happy to post anywhere in the world. Dang, I'm feeling generous!

The book is published by Bloomsbury, and on Feb 25th in London, I'll be interviewing three AMAZING Bloomsbury short story writers - Jon McGregor, Lucy Wood and Eliza Roberston - about that very subject, permission and risk, in their own writings, so do come along, share your stories with us. More information here.

I'm reading at Loose Muse on Wed Jan 14th, at the Poetry Cafe in London, would be lovely to see you there, too!

Don't forget to comment to be in with a chance of winning a book...

Short Story Event Ticket Giveaway!

I will no longer be chairing this event due to the loss of my beautiful cat, but please do go, she is a wonderful writer.

I am incredibly honoured to be "in conversation" at Jewish Book Week in London on Feb 27th with renowned American short story writer Edith Pearlman, whose 4th collection, Binocular Vision, was published in 2011 - and was reviewed by Sarah Hilary on The Short Review. I've just republished the review on the site as part of our From the Archive feature. Sarah says of the collection:

On the middle shelf of my bookcase I have two piles of books, side by side. One is two feet deep and represents twelve novels I’ve yet to read. The other pile is for short story collections, and has just one book at present: this one. I’ll have read more stories, met more characters, laughed and cried and sighed more often reading this one collection than all the novels put together. Such is the skill of the author.

I whole-heartedly agree. I love this book - all her stories, actually. Edith should be far far better known worldwide - but this is her first UK event, and frankly it is unmissable for anyone who loves great stories, of all lengths. I can't wait to ask her questions about her writing and chat about stories!

And for you, my dear blog readers, I have one FREE ticket to give away! All you need to do is express interest here in the comments section and I will pick a winner on Feb 20th, giving the lucky winner a week to make travel arrangements and the rest of you time to get your hands on a ticket. If you want to read one of Edith's stories, try Capers, published in Ascent. Hope to see you on the 27th!