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HAPPY NEW YEAR

Lots to report, lots to report...

1. Rarebit, my anthology of 21 illustrated short stories to celebrate Parthian's 21st birthday launched on National Short Story Day - 21/12/2013 and is currently Welsh Book of the Month in Waterstones for January 2014. Contributor Dan Tyte wrote a fab blog about the launch so I don't have to. I'm pleased as punch with all involved, especially that John Abell for all the amazing artwork, and Team Parthian for lots of help in many other ways. Here's a little anecdote from my weekend:

On Saturday I ran into a friend outside the pasty shop, as you do. 'I've just bought Rarebit,' she said, quickly adding 'for a friend' as if it were a dangerous book to be caught buying for yourself. 'I saw it because it was on the Book of the Month table in Waterstones Cardiff. Actually, the person in the queue behind me was buying it too.' Here's a snap of the display of Rarebits in Waterstones after this conversation on Saturday. Book of the Month all month long, who'd have thought...http://www.parthianbooks.com/content/rarebit


2. Dan Tyte! As well as being in Rarebit we launch Dan's debut novel Half Plus Seven with a party in Cardiff Fashion Quarter next month. He's been picked as One to Watch in 2014 by the Western Mail and he's also had other people saying good words about him, words like these:

"A lethal cocktail of Bukowski and Mad Men, finished with a twist of dry Welsh wit."- Mike Williams, NME Editor 





Read more: http://www.parthianbooks.com/content/magnificent-seven-member-6-dan-tyte

3. I've got a new part-time job (...but I am not leaving Parthian). I start lecturing on the MA in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of Gloucestershire this week. I'm very happy about this.

4. I've been working on some wonderful books coming out this year. My first spring/summer batch includes Rarebit, Dan Tyte's novel Half Plus Seven, Carly Holmes' novel The Scrapbook, Kit Habianic's novel Until Our Blood Is Dry, Georgia Carys Williams' short story collection Second-hand Rain, and two titles from Michael Oliver-Semenov - Sunbathing in Siberia (Travel memoir) and The Elephant's Foot (Poetry). I am also looking forward to the release of debut novels from Tom Anderson and Susmita Bhattacharya in the autumn. See you at the launches, festivals and literary tours.

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