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New Bookindy app helps bookshops fight back against Amazon Books about women less likely to win prizes, study finds Austin Kleon: How to graciously say 'No' to anyone. Can Reading Make You Happier? A Classic Book for Every Myers-Briggs Personality Type If Jane Austen Got Feedback From Some Guy In A Writing Workshop No men allowed: publisher accepts novelist's 'year of women' challenge 10 of the Best Gin Palaces to Celebrate World Gin Day Battling bias on the shop floor: how bookstores can support diversity Lovely to see the Book Bus on this. Sells Parthian Books and everything. Congrats Jeff Towns:  The 10 best independent bookshops in the world – readers recommend Available only in bookshops – a magical voyage of discovery How the subconscious mind shapes creative writing Death of the naturalist: why is the “new nature writing” so tame? Download Wales Arts Review's  Flash Fiction Special for free Reality still bites for Gen X —...

It's been a busy month, with lots to celebrate including both of our birthdays, our housewarming, trips to the circus / lighthouse / beach / scavenging / cycling and Jaws Day. Here's some of the things that have happened: On display at Wild-Schacht Gallery this month...  John Abell: My social media statuses of note: Somebody make us a badge saying 'We survived IKEA.' Applause. Applause. Bows. Wore a new dress that I bought and a new haircut, Torben wore a new shirt that I bought... went to Chapter to eat nice food and drink pints because Why Not? There was a pop-up love party happening, with food, the world is full of copycats... now home to dance with fizz. Is not going to pursue a new career in furniture moving. Somehow, mainly down to T, the sofa bed from Gumtree address round the corner is now moved by hand and in the 'library' / 'spare room' and Torben has a pint of home brew. There are few people, 1, that I trust to stand beneath a...

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: Bethany Pope on Carly Holmes' debut novel The Scrapbook , now out in paperback:  The Price of Magic ' 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-...

Oooooh I have a poem about love and the eclipse up on the fab new Black Sheep Journal today accompanied by one of  Torben Schacht 's photos. The sun has just decided to come out and I'm taking him out for Sunday lunch. All very pleasant. Here's the link to Black Sheep Journal where you can read it if you like. I'm in good company so flick back and read some more poems while you are there, you won't be disappointed.

http://madeinroath.com I'll be one of the eight poets reading / performing as part of this year's summer Octopoet event in Roath. Thanks to Mark Blayney for asking me. here are the details you need... A summer Octopoet for the Solstice festival! Come and see the best poets around, for free. A mix of entertaining, thought-provoking, funny and surreal verse with a downtown New York vibe. Fully licensed bar! Friday, June 19   at 7:30pm The Coffi House, 3 Wellfield Road, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3NZ Interested. Here is the link to the Facebook events page. Click click... UPDATE: HERE'S A SNAP FROM THE NIGHT...

The Welsh Short Story Network anthology Secondary Character  published by Opening Chapter launches in July 2015. It contains my story 'Pocillovy' from my debut collection The Art of Contraception (Parthian, 2010). Also in the collection: Jo Mazelis, Carly Holmes, Nigel Jarrett, Bethany Pope, John Lavin, Carole Burns Kate North & many more.

Bookish reading and the like... Korean Artist Beautifully Illustrates What Real Love Looks Like Marketing yourself as an author On 13th May 1888, Beatrix Potter, aged 22, recorded a trip to Machynlleth in her diary;  "May 13: Went with Mamma and Papa to Machynlleth, Merioneth.  From Euston to Stafford by Holyhead Mail all very well, but the Welsh Railways are past description. Four hours to go sixty miles between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth. When mushrooms are in season the guard goes out to pick them. Machynlleth, wretched town, hardly a person could speak English. Wynnstay Arms, to which we were directed, closed these two years. Lion, only other, a singular place." "Countryside most beautiful, but on rather a large scale for getting about." "Welsh seem a pleasant intelligent race but I should think awkward to live with. The children exceedingly pretty, black or red, with clear complexions and bright blue eyes. The middle-aged...

Photo Highlights Book Research Running away with circus Reading for Fun Nom Nom, new vegan shop at castle emporium has these gf beauties Emotions, post-election Flowers and sunny celebration £1 charity shop sale haul

Bye Bye May, You were a busy one. Here are the highlights... Tyler Keevil was shortlisted for Wales Book of the Year (again) for his short story collection Burrard Inlet and won the Silver Medal in the Independent Publisher Books Awards . You can read my author of the month piece on him here:  http://www.parthianbooks.com/content/author-month-tyler-keevil-interview Georgia Carys Williams was shortlisted for the Saboteur Awards  2015 for best short story collection for her debut Second-hand Rain. Carole Burns read from The Missing Woman and Other Stories at First Thursday in Chapter, Cardiff on May 7th We launched Richard Owain Robert's debut short story collection All The Places We Lived at Chapter in Cardiff on Thursday 14th May and lots of people came along... See the full Parthian photo blog Read a story from All The Places We Lived on The Quietus website. And then, at the Southbank Centre in London, Half Plus Seven novelist  Dan ...