Integrated transport system

News just in – I’ve somehow managed to find my way onto the list of Best British & Irish Flash Fiction 2018-2019. This year, TSS Publishing put the BIFFY50 decision-making into the hands of Barbara Byar, Neil Campbell, Elisabeth Ingram Wallace and Rebecca Williams, so thank you to those guys.

My Victoria Baths Residency continues apace and this week sees me witnessing the Gala Pool being filled for only the third time since the complex shut its doors to the swimming public back in 1993, in readiness for the upcoming Swim For Restoration Weekend. Saturday will feature me performing some of my water-related flash fiction pieces written while I’ve been Writer-in-Residence, along with the announcement of the winner of the Splash Fiction Competition we launched at the Weekend Of Words and readings by some of the shortlisted writers – the hour-long event starts at 1pm; more here.

 From 1pm on Saturday 5 October, I’m one of six writers purveying their wares in a vintage caravan as part of the Burnley Literary Festival event Flash In A Van (geddit?). The others are Michael Conley, Kate Feld, David Gaffney, Tania Hershman and Fat Roland, so a fun afternoon should ensue. I’m putting together a set list of transport-related pieces. Expect boats, trains, possibly cars, maybe trams, and definitely a caravan.

The week later, on Saturday 12 October, starting at 2pm (all these afternoon gigs!), Sally Barrett launches her latest Mid Life Crisis Zine, ‘The Alice One’, at Chorlton’s Dulcimer. I’m one of the readers, as a slightly numbers-led, constraint-driven, experimental-y, Oulipian-esque story I wrote (inspired by overnight trains and canal boats) especially for the Alice In Wonderland-inspired tome while vacationing in Spain was accepted for publication, which was rather nice. The launch event will have Nell Osborne of No Matter headlining, and readings from (confirmed so far) editor Sally, Helen Clare, Joe Darlington, Anna Percy, and Tim Allen and Rachel Sills from Peter Barlow’s Cigarette. More here.

At the end of November, the 23rd, to be exact, I’m also due to appear at Macclesfield LIT Fest, and I’m expecting to announce further dates, including the launch of the Love Bites Buzzcocks-themed anthology coming out soon on Dostoyevsky Wannabe. Phew.