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June 2015: Parthian Happenings That Happened




June kicked off well with Desire Line, the new novel by Gee Williams, listed as Book of the Month for The Welsh Books Council, Waterstones (Wales) and WH Smith (Wales). Here it is on display in Cardiff Waterstones. 


If you missed the Desire Line book signing in Lingham's Bookshop to mark the start of Independent Booksellers Week on Sat 21st June don't fret, we've lots of lovely events booked in with Gee this autumn including appearances in Rhyl, Blackwood and Cardiff and at Gladstone's Library.

We've also been gaining some lovely reviews:


'As for the writing; it is superb. There are scenes that are reminiscent of the high gothic house-based psychology found in Jane Eyre, others (like the wonderful scene where the feverish, adolescent Fern spits out what she believes to be the swallowed soul of her grandmother; a black phlegm-bird that circles and caws, clawing the air above her head) that are reminiscent of the best of Neil Gaiman. The story is claustrophobic, but well-paced; a beautiful reminder that not every form of love is healthy, and the bonds we form (the bonds that strengthen us) are not always good.' 

 'There are so many beautiful lines throughout this collection that the rest of this review could just be a list of them' - Wales Arts Review published a lovely review of a wonderful short story collection The Missing Woman and Other Stories by Carole Burns.

 Richard Owain Roberts' debut short story collection All The Places We Lived came out on ebook on June 22nd and it is also getting all 5 star reviews on Amazon.

 'This book is ambitious and does not content itself to paddle in a parochial drama, instead Davies couches the inner lives and developments of his characters against a backdrop of global political, social and sexual realignment that emerged at the dawn of the 20th century. The personalities and exploits of the families and friends he traces run in parallel with the booming motions of the new technological age giving the personal and private revelations, struggles, loves, whims and weaknesses a universal depth and significance.' Chris Cornwell / Wales Arts Review on the Library of Wales reissue of Rhys Davies' A Time to Laugh 

We've been giving away lots of books for summer on Goodreads including The Normal State of Mind (Susmita Bhattacharya), The Actaeon Tide (Tom Anderson) and The Flight of Sarah Battle (Alix Nathan) and had special deals on Kindle too. See are our latest giveaways.

 Dan Tyte had a small gathering and reading to celebrate his Rarebit story 'Onwards' going on the wall at Little Man Coffee in Cardiff

Our deadline passed for our competition for young Welsh Writers in association with the Welsh Writers Trust. Award-winning writer Rachel Trezise will pass her judgment soon!

My new intern Ziggy is constantly worn out after tough mornings sitting on manuscripts, hands, keyboard and stealing pens.


Tendai Huchu was interviewed by Short Story Day Africa ahead of the forthcoming UK release of his new novel The Maestro, The Magistrate and The Mathematician. Look out for events in Edinburgh with Tendai in August and October and a London event or two as part of The Southbank Centre's Africa Utopia programme in September.


We were over the moon to find out that Carly Holmes (The Scrapbook) and Tyler Keevil (Burrard Inlet) were both shortlisted for the Rubery Book Award 2015.

I felt the need to Facebook this: 'Intern bought me gluten free muffins today. Gold star.' Thanks Chevelle. Talking of our interns, meet our latest batch of brilliance, youth and enthusiasm: Stephanie, Chevelle and Bryan.

 Susmita Bhattacharya read from her novel The Normal State of Mind at Plymouth Central Library  and she was shortlisted for the Thresholds Essay Prize. 

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