Thursday 31 August 2017

Teaching in Venice


April in Venice - sharing my love for short fiction for five days was absolute magic. Participants came from as far afield as San Franciso - hi Deb! Based on the Giudecca, we worked hard, played hard, had a 'Paint your own Venetian Mask' session - and ended the workshops richer, all of us. A teriffic bunch, loved every minute.
       Thanks to Janys Hyde of Creative Retreats in Venice for the wonderful invitation, and it was so nice working for and with you. Look forward to 2018!

Publication of A Short History of Synchronised Breathing



A few months late - but a catch up begins.

February 20187

The third short fiction collection, A Short History of Synchronised Breathing, came out from Cultured Llama in February. They bill it as:
Meta-fiction, fable, satire, instruction manual, or reportage? Sometimes all in the one story. A Short History of Synchronised Breathing is funny, sexy, original, heartbreaking, and with true insights to the human condition...
and who am I to argue? Indeed the lovely Paul McVeigh, author of The Good Son, gave me this glorious quote for the cover:

Charming and challenging, inventive and intelligent – a wonderful collection that is also laugh out loud funny.
Funny? Moi? Indeed, apparently. It's had a good reception, and among other quiet celebrations, was the focus of a private storytelling launch lunch which raised over £600 for Friends of Sussex Hospices.

It's a POD publication, which means the publisher doesn't have to find space waiting for copies to sell. It also means you can't find it in a bookshop. But can be ordered from Amazon and so forth, and from the publisher. I'd rather the latter, if you intend buying, please. Thanks.

Link here to the publisher's web page:

http://www.culturedllama.co.uk/books/synchronised-breathing