The #Halloween Legacy of Ireland’s Witches
The origins of Halloween lie in Ireland – read more about Samhain here and the Irish women burned as witches
Let’s write a scary chain story together
I’m in Mexico for the Day of the Dead right now – I’m posting about it on my other blog At A Gentle Pace – so I’m very tuned into* … Continue reading
“A blank page is also a door…” David Mitchell QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes)
A blank page is also a door — it contains infinity, like a night sky with a supermoon really close to the Earth, with all the stars and the galaxies, … Continue reading
Wanted: a topical Jewish play from UK writer
Matthew Frener (Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Free Rayne Artists) and Michaela Stern (Co-Founder of Collaborative Artists) are looking for new full length plays that tackle topical issues and which … Continue reading
On first being published…James M Barry QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes
For several days after my first book was published, I carried it about in my pocket and took surreptitious peeps at it to make sure the ink had not faded. … Continue reading
Win a place on Iceland’s 2017 Writing Retreat
Iceland Writers Retreat are running a free writing competition with a great prize – a place for one person at their retreat in April 2017. The retreats have been running … Continue reading
Major publisher is reaching out to emerging writers in the regions of the UK usually ignored
Are you an unpublished writer: ficton or non-fiction? Do you have a story to tell about the region, city, town or village you call home ? Weidenfeld & Nicolson (part … Continue reading
Forgeting and remembering: light and dark, says Scottish historian and thinker Thomas Carlyle. Quotes for Writers (and people who like quotes)
Oblivion is the dark page, whereon Memory writes her light-beam characters, and makes them legible; were it all light nothing could be read there, any more than if it were … Continue reading
Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize, but he’s been on the short list for years
I am delighted that Bob Dylan has won the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature. Shock has been expressed by some and it’s the first time the award has gone to … Continue reading
Write a poem for children about kings and queens
The Emma Press is looking for poems about British and Irish kings and queens, for a new anthology aimed at children aged 8+. The book will be called The Head … Continue reading
Salvador Dali’s precise definition of a cliche QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes)
The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot. Salvador Dali
Granta Literary Magazine welcomes unsolicited submissions for 2016 and 2017
Granta calls itself the magazine for new writing but that simple description doesn’t do it justice. One of the best Christmas presents I’ve ever had was a subscription so I … Continue reading
“Every fictional plot contains hints and traces of the stories it has excluded…” Susan Sontag QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes)
Every fictional plot contains hints and traces of the stories it has excluded or resisted in order to assume its present shape. Alternatives to the plot ought to be felt … Continue reading
International Spine-chilling short story competition
The Creative Competitor – an author service organisation – have been running writing competitions for over five years. This month they want something scary in 1000 words or less (and … Continue reading
BRIDGET WHELAN writer 