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Monday 21 February 2011

'Sweet Home'


Stories that have been shortlisted in the Once Upon a Time competition are available to read in the cafe of the Chapel Gallery (see above) and also here on the Chapel Gallery website.

My story, 'Sweet Home' can be read here

Thursday 17 February 2011

Once Upon a time...


I entered a competition sponsored by Edge Hill University earlier this year. The competition, Once Upon a Time, was for UK based short story writers and I found out this afternoon that my story 'Sweet Home' has been shortlisted and is currently on display in the cafe of the Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk. Customers can select shortlisted stories to read while they drink and eat and they can nominate their favourite for the readers' prize. The winner of the main prize will be announced at a ceremony in March and will win £250.

I drove past the gallery twice today when I was visiting Edge Hill to catalogue entires for the 2011 Edge Hill Prize. I would have stopped to have a peep at the story if I'd known then that it was on display. 



Sunday 13 February 2011

Chatterbox


I went to see Sarah Millican on her Chatterbox tour last night. I laughed so much that when I got home my throat hurt.

'Going to see a comedian' is one more thing I can tick off my 'Never Done' list which pretty long for someone my age. I'm hoping to cross out a significant portion of the list in 2011. 'Write a novel' is another item on the list. I'm five A3 pages of scribbled notes into the planning of it now, perhaps it's something else I'll be able to cross off in 2011.


Sunday 6 February 2011

Library stuff


Yesterday was Save Our Libraries Day.

Three hundred and fifty libraries are understood to be under threat of closure.

As a family we borrow books, audio books and CDs and occasionally rent a DVD for £1.50 from our library. The children regularly reserve items for free - this week son 2 reserved The Dead by Charlie Higson. I used to attend story time when the children were preschoolers and we've been to comic strip workshops and mobile zoo presentations at the library.

Churchtown library

This is my local library. I love it. I hope it's around for many, many years.