Friends of Willesden Herald take both Southword fiction chapbook awards 2019

Congratulations to the winners of the Southword Fiction Chapbook Competition! A Middle Eastern No by Jill Widner (Best International Chapbook) and It’s Not Me It’s You by Brian Kirk (Best Irish Chapbook) will be published in autumn 2019. Read more here: https://t.co/jsV9iSp7Ph pic.twitter.com/WuGx9o55zO

— Munster Literature Centre (@MunLitCentre) February 15, 2019

Congratulations to Jill Widner and Brian Kirk, both past contributors to Willesden Herald New Short Stories (as kindly acknowledged in their credit lists), on taking the International and Irish top prizes in the Southword Fiction Chapbook Competition 2019.

“The Island” by Tove Jansson

What could make today better? How about a never-before-translated essay by Tove Jansson. https://t.co/q1tk6RAen7

— The Paris Review (@parisreview) February 13, 2019

With an intro by Herman Diaz who describes it as “at once a short story, an essay, and a prose poem.” Here’s a direct link. It is believed that this is the first time it has appeared in an English translation.

Submissions window closed

We have closed to submissions pro tem, hoping to open again, maybe later this year. Thank you to readers and writers for your interest and support to date. Cheers! (Stephen)

Granta: A new short story by Caoilinn Hughes

I have a new story, ‘My Biggest Insecurity About the Garden’ in @GrantaMag.
It’s about freaky infrastructure, sociability, slippery footholds in one’s life + environment. Or: A Finnish UN systems engineer goes on a business trip to Singapore. 🙏 @lukeneima

https://t.co/WzI75qev6H

— Caoilinn Hughes (@CaoilinnHughes) February 4, 2019

About the author (Granta)

BBC Radio 3: A subjunctive story by Toby Litt

‘If only I were a different person, I would find it easy to tell you what I feel about you. But I can’t. I live in the subjunctive – the lonely, ghostly silence of if only…’

So my subjunctive story begins. Hear the rest at 10pm this evening https://t.co/cmmLwl2hpv @R3TheVerb pic.twitter.com/91fXSGqegB

— Toby Litt (@tobylitt) February 1, 2019

“Ian McMillan gets into the subjunctive mood with brand new writing from Toby Litt, a new poetry commission from Holly Pester, on the subjunctive in welsh with Menna Elfyn and Rob Drummond explains why the subjunctive is dying out amongst the young…” (The Verb, BBC Radio 3, 1 Feb. 2019)

The New Yorker: “Cream” by Haruki Murakami

Masterly storytelling that keeps you reading, in the hope that you’re going to get somewhere. Link: “Cream” by Haruki Murakami

— The Willesden Herald (@storyofthemonth) January 23, 2019

But do you – get anywhere?

“Ten Months with Octopus” by Angela Readman

Multiple award-winning writer, Angela Readman, has won the New Flash Fiction Review “Anton Chekov prize for very short fiction” with this little gem.

Nothing doing in Feb., anything happening in March?

Sorry but there’s no story of the month for February 2019, as the deadline has passed without anything suitable received. The next cutoff date will be Friday, February 15th for the March edition. Don’t mention … you know what.

Bustle: “10 storytelling podcasts you need to listen to”

“Whether you’re hitting the road, heading to the gym, or just trying to brighten up your daily commute, here are 10 storytelling podcasts you’ll love listening to if you love short stories. Featuring fiction and non-fiction narratives alike, these shows will scratch that narrative itch when reading a book just isn’t an option.” (Sadie Trombetta, Bustle.com)

Litro: “The Fitting” by Angelina Taylor

In today’s #flashfriday a young woman goes for a bra fitting. Should she trust the shop assistant? Read The Fitting https://t.co/vkr3ycupzF by Angelina Taylor via @LitroMagazine pic.twitter.com/zA0DjMcTV3

— Litro Magazine (@LitroMagazine) January 18, 2019

lol