Signed with Fly on the Wall Press!

Just signed the contract with the enthusiastic and energetic publisher ‘Fly on the Wall’ for my next collection of short stories, ‘The House with Two Letter-Boxes’. All the stories in this collection are set in the North East of England and they are not, repeat not, middle-class. Expect a world you can recognise, and a language you are familiar with (depending on your origins). Publication date end of next year.

https://www.flyonthewallpress.co.uk/

‘Best British Short Stories 2020’

Took me a while to realise that ‘The Map of Bihar’ had been given a mention by Nicholas Royle in ‘Best British Short Stories 2020’ and, in particular, the story ‘Washing Machine Wars’. Thanks to Selma Cavalho for pointing this out, and thanks again to Circaidy Gregory Press for publishing me.

‘Foxtrot in Fulham’

Massive thanks to ‘The Hyderabad Review’ for daring to run with this story about struggle, love and racism in the UK. Good to reach another part of the Indian reading public.

Here’s what the Editor-in-Chief had to say about the story: ‘When I started reading, the very first thought of a foreigner writing on Indian subjects interested me. As the story went on it really intrigued me to know whats coming. I could visualize everything in front of my eyes and I was able to connect with the character, “Prem” and imagine the western world in the 60s and the racial discrimination. A great story!’

I’m hoping ‘Foxtrot in Fulham’ will be the centre-piece in my next collection, but meantime, you can read it here for free!

‘A Bird on the Wing’ Takes Flight

‘In the Kitchen’, a diverse anthology of stories with a diversity of authors launches today. Edited by culinary genius and author, Susmita Bhattacharya, and Farhana Shaikh of Dahlia Publishing, you can expect it to whet your appetite for all kinds of delicacies. Except for my story, ‘A Bird on the Wing’, set in a dismal Glasgow of the sixties. Betrayal, grief, vengeance – now they’re the things I’m more comfortable with. See ‘Short stories’ page on how to buy.

‘A Bird on the Wing’ is ‘In the Kitchen’

Here’s an engaging diversity of stories in a new anthology from Dahlia publishing, edited by Susmita Bhattacharya and Farhana Sheikh. Guaranteed to get you feeling nostalgic and hankering after all kinds of culinary delicacy. Except, perhaps, for my story, ‘A Bird on the Wing’, in which a young, Scottish-Asian woman is trapped at home looking after her ailing mother and lamenting the Bengali father who deserted them.

http://dahlia-books.kong365.com/en-gb/collections/our-books/products/in-the-kitchen-an-anthology-of-short-stories

‘The Bhaskar Boys’ make their UK debut

Meet two exceptionally prescient tennis playing twins who drive their ‘long-serving’ mother almost to distraction. Their fast track careers take them from Mumbai to the London Olympics, where things take an unexpected turn. Find them, and lots of other goodies in the anthology ‘This Rome Drowns Slowly’, published by Earlyworks Press. You can get it here:

http://www.circaidygregory.co.uk/Earlyworks%20Press%20This%20Rome%20drowns%20slowly.htm

‘Utterly charming, racy and visual.’ – Ida Lichter, writer and campaigner for Muslim women’s rights.

‘The Bhaskar Boys’ finally surface in Kochi

Meet two tennis-playing nightmares, whose home town is Mumbai, but whose meteoric career takes them all round the world until they arrive at the London Olympics. Meet their poor, harassed mother, Meena, who follows them every step of the way until she can go no further. Read it for free here in this journal of delights. My story starts on page 139.

Gorgeous cover showing cashew nuts growing by Jimmy Mathew.