Delighted that this story which features a lot of North Eastern regional dialect has been listed in this competition. Disenchanted Indian doctor encounters intransigent local resident. What can go wrong?
‘The Red Rickshaw’ – Earlyworks Press finalist
Just announced: ‘The Red Rickshaw’, a story about karma, is a finalist in the Earlyworks Press competition 2018, and will be published in their forthcoming anthology 2019.
‘A Trowel and a Trike’ – Suffragette Stories
‘A Trowel and Trike’ has been accepted by Norfolk Library Service to form part of its project to mark the work of the suffragettes in securing the vote for women in the UK. It will be published online on 4th July 2019. The story makes reference to the work of Mary Phillips who was organiser of the Newcastle WSPU for several years from 1909. She died in 1969, having spent a lifetime as an activist agitating for women’s rights.
‘Oculus’ -semifinalist, ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story competition USA, 2018
‘Oculus’, my story about woman’s right to self-determination, set in Iran and India, is a semifinalist in the Screencraft Cinematic Short Story Competition 2018. Whoo-ee!
‘A Tadge to Your Left’ published by the The Word Factory
This story set in the North East of England, and dealing with the issues of sexual abuse, has been selected by Cathy Galvin, a founder of the Sunday Times/EFG short story competition, for publication as part of The Word Factory’s event on Citizenship. Well pleased with that!
‘Jesus Wants Us’ – Ilkley shortlisting
Whacky tale of life in the North East of England shortlisted in the The Ilkley Literature Festival short story competition 2018.
A Tadge to Your Left
A story about sexual abuse and its effects, set in the North East of England. There’s a strong flavour of the Sixties in this story. Selected by Cathy Galvin, co-founder of the Sunday Times/EFG short story competition for the website of ‘The Word Factory’.
Find it here. This is a free read!!
http://www.thewordfactory.tv/site/story/a-tadge-to-your-left/
The Map of Bihar and Other Stories
‘The settings for these stories move from Scotland to northern England to India. They all hold the attention and some of them stand out. Internet Explorer is a really good story about a multiracial beginners’ computer class and, unlike most of the other stories, has a happy ending. Veil is a powerfully imaginative story, narrated by a work of art of a nude female; it’s displayed at a council office and the reactions it evokes reveal some of the unhealthy attitudes of our times. The title story is mainly about an arranged Indian marriage but the map in question has little to do with geography; it’s a blackly humorous, somewhat shocking story. Private Passions is set in a building in a Scottish town where an Indian couple run a shop on the ground floor and couples in various states of unhappiness occupy the upper floors. The link between the shop and the sudden death of an elderly racist tenant is established by the deft ending. Strong characterisation, various shades of humour and especially the skilful and unexpected endings make this an impressive debut collection.’ – Brian Maye, Irish Times
The Trouble with Mangoes
Vikram, Julie and their teenage son make their first trip to India together to visit Vikram’s family. Nobody can quite fathom the etiquette of this situation though, and when an old man turns up outside the family home and sits there endlessly, this triggers all kinds of cultural collisions and misunderstandings. Published by the Indian Review. This is a free read!!
Guides for learners, practitioners and managers on how to Persist, Progress and Achieve in Skills for Life learning
QIA July 2008