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We have an opportunity for 5 new writers to be published alongside award winning writers: Andrew Michael Hurley, Carys Bray, Paul Kingsnorth, Peter Kalu and Kirsty Logan in a short story collection.

We are looking for stories from new writers and new voices for an anthology of short fiction set on the North West Coast edited by award winning writer Jenn Ashworth.

From the bright lights of Blackpool to the eerie calm of Morecambe bay, from the port of Whitehaven to the dunes of Formby, we want  your stories. We're interested in the untold tales: the seasonal workers, the overlooked natural world, the off-peak and under-written. We're interested in tales from the edge: edge of the country, edge of society, and perhaps even the edge of a life.

The story must be previously unpublished, set on the North West Coast of England, and be no longer than 6k words. The writer doesn't have to be born, live or work in the area to write about it and we're looking for surprising perspectives  and diverse voices.

(For the purposes of the this collection, 'new writer' means they haven't previously published a book-length work of fiction, poetry or creative non-fiction before)

To submit: the writer needs to send their work as a word doc email attachment to jenn.ashworth@gmail.com - including their name and contact details, and a short bio.

Deadline: September 15th 2017 - entries after this date will not be read.

Many thanks and good luck.

The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers has arrived in the warehouse. Alex Preston from The Guardian has chosen it as one of his fiction highlights for 2017.

There will be a launch at THE BOOKCASE, Hebden Bridge, on Wednesday 17th May from 7pm. Ben will chat about the book, 'The Cragg Vale Coiners' and 'King' David Hartley, the leader of the clippers, whose illegal activities nearly brought the economy of the West Riding of Yorkshire down and was the biggest fraud in England until 2007. Further launches and signings will be at WATERSTONES , LEEDS, Friday 19th May from 7pm when Ian Oldfield, a  manager at the bookstore will interview Ben and WATERSTONES, Durham, Saturday 20th May from midday, where Ben will sign copies of his book.

THE HANDSWORTH TIMES by Sharon Duggal has been selected for  CITY READS 2017 and the BRIGHTON FESTIVAL.

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/sharon-duggal-city-read-463661

CITY READS will be launched in Brighton on WORLD BOOK DAY, March 2nd 2017 and it runs until the end of the Brighton Festival, which this years is directed by award winning poet and novelist KATE TEMPEST.

The Observer has chosen THE GALLOWS POLE by Benjamin Myers as one of their fiction highlights for 2017.

'Ben Myers' THE GALLOWS POLE  may well turn out to be 2017's HIS BLOODY PROJECT (Short listed for The Man Booker). It's a windswept, brutal tale of 18th century  Yorkshire told in starkly beautiful prose.'

THE GALLOWS POLE will be published in MAY 2017.

The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers has received The Society of Authors' Roger Deakin award. We publish it in May 2017.

It is a 'HYMN TO THE HILLS,' a story of The Cragg Vale Coiners and 'King' David Hartley who clipped coins, created an alternative economy in West Yorkshire, and railed against the establishment and the onset of the industrial revolution. It is a beautiful and powerful novel about a divided England and it is as relevant today as it was 250 years ago.

I know I'm biased but I think it is Ben's best work to date.

MUMSNETS BOOKS have chosen THE SECRET TO NOT DROWNING as their book of the month for November, which is brilliant. 50 members of the book club are reading and on Monday 28th November, Colette will be doing an online interview via SKYPE, do a Q & A and discuss the central topic of emotional abuse in relationships and marriages. THE SECRET TO NOT DROWNING was also chosen as A BRAVE NEW READ 2016 in which Colette embarked on a national tour of libraries and bookshops. 

Congratulations to Dan Micklethwaite, his debut, THE LESS THAN PERFECT LEGEND OF DONNA CREOSOTE, has been short listed for The Guardian's NOT THE BOOKER.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/aug/15/the-not-the-booker-prize-2016-shortlist-revealed-time-to-get-reading

In a couple of weeks Bluemoose Books will be 10 years old. We've ordered the cake, two balloons and a round of fancies from Waites the bakers. In the past decade we've experienced some bumps along the way, usually involving the bank manager and the person in charge of the abacus. Our authors have won and been short listed for international and national literary prizes, we've sold film and TV rights to Hollywood, ITV and Channel 4 and last week we sold our first book in KAZAKHSTAN. But before we start on the nostalgia trip and going all doolally tap, here are two books we've just published.

TAINTED LOVE by Anna Chilvers and THE LESS THAN PERFECT LEGEND OF DONNA CREOSOTE. You can see the jackets above.

Well toodlepip for now and look forward to seeing you at the party.