My new short story collection Maybe the Birds has been launched – and what a lovely event it was. Dr Kim Wiltshire at Edge Hill University very kindly invited me to hold an event at the Arts Centre, and that happened last week on the 21st October.
It was great to see so many former colleagues, writer friends, former students, current colleagues and others on the night, and to help the book take flight in the best way possible – in a warm and magical atmosphere where we could all celebrate what is surely the greatest of literary forms… the short story.
The evening started with readings from three great writers – Ailsa Cox, John Rutter and Elizabeth Baines – and was followed by an interval then a couple of readings from me (‘Little arrows’ – a story about a woman’s difficult relationship with her mother and linked to the figure of the robin – and also ‘Piano’, a piece of flash fiction, which also explores a complex mother/daughter relationship).
Kim then led a Q&A with me and all the other readers and it was really nice to answer questions about process, the short story as well as how to order a short story collection. Not an easy process!
Thanks to Kim and also Clare Allen at the Arts Centre for organising the event – and thanks to all who came along. It was a fab way to send Maybe the Birds off out into the world.