Stolen Stories is a new anthology of fiction that I co-edited and wrote the introduction for. This is the back cover blurb, that hopefully explains the concept of the book (or is, alternatively, so mystifying, so great an enigma, that you positively have to buy the book, just so you can know).

“Never, ever trust a writer. One minute you’re pouring your heart out in the pub: the tale of you and him, or you and her; the tears, the anguish, the pain. Next thing you know, it’s all over the papers: the hilarious and best-selling tale of some twit who resembles you in every way except they have black hair and better taste in music. But this is what writers do: they steal, they take, they lie. And there is no shame in this. Quite the opposite. In order to celebrate this fact, we have compiled an anthology of the finest ‘stolen’ stories, a collection of 16 tales from both established and emerging thieves, all of whom have been forced to confess the source of their thefts.”

The anthology is published by Forest Publications, and for those not residing in Edinburgh, or Glasgow (where we’ll be having our initial readings and launches) it can be ordered from Wordpower Books, price £5.99.

http://www.word-power.co.uk/books/stolen-stories-I9780955645617/

As part of the Scottish Poetry Library’s ‘Reading Room’ series, I make some horribly personal disclosures, and also offer, somewhat belatedly, a few half-thoughts on Marvell’s ‘To His Coy Mistress’. 

http://www.readingroom.spl.org.uk/classic_poems/index.html

My story ‘The Fun of the Fair’ is in the new issue of Stand (Vol 8:2). This is a story that I first submitted to them almost 3 years ago. Even by the protracted standards of literary magazines, this is an impressively long time. But it is a nice magazine, with a good history, so it’s only been faintly excruciating to wait. If your library is excellent, and poetry-minded, they may have a copy.

Otherwise, you can get a copy from them direct at http://www.people.vcu.edu/~dlatane/stand-maga/

Surprisingly, it is not in the Native American issue (Vol 8:1) presently billed as the current issue.

Well, I’m going to try and get this site active. At least sporadically. Sort of. 

I’m going to be reading at a few places in August- At the Edinburgh Book festival on August 12th, at 3.40, in the Bookshop. And in the Book Fringe at Wordpower on August 18th at 2.15. Along with Ryan van Winkle, a fine poet and friend, and Kapka Kassabova, whose excellent memoir has just received a great review in the Guardian.

More to follow on publications.

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