Last night I went on an exciting jaunt with my writing compadres, the Poet Macaque, aka Hamish MacNeil, and Fenja Hill. We were on our way to Cheddar to a reception and launch of Axe River Publishing’s anthology of local writers’ work, Axe River Books Short Story Prize Anthology. The anthology includes my two talented friends’ work.
Fenja’s story is ‘The Juggler, an absolutely brilliant, magical tale of a young girl who is somewhat of a lonely outcast, and bullied by others at school. You will never guess how she wins through – you will have to buy the anthology to find out! Macaque’s story is very different, writing as Hamish McNeil, The King’s Shilling “is a tender, heart-wrenching tale of the courage and connection of those who found love against all odds during the darkest days of history.”
Here’s a little background to Axe River Books, which unless you live in the south-west you may not have come across:
Axe River Books was founded by three literature enthusiasts in Somerset to offer publishing opportunities to writers in the South West of England, particularly those unpublished or unrepresented by literary agents. The company provides a platform for emerging voices and promotes original talent from the region. Inspired by the River Axe, which has flowed through the Mendip Hills for millions of years, the publishing house is committed to supporting local writers and fostering a vibrant community around South Western literature. As a community interest company (CIC), all profits are reinvested in future projects that align with its mission.
The book launch last night was in the Cheddar Arts Quarter, at the bottom of Cheddar Gorge. It is a community hub for artists and other creatives, so all around us were paintings, ceramics and other art work on display and for sale, a most interesting and appropriate venue. After the presentations, some of the winners of the competition shared extracts from their work, and there was also a glass or two of wine available.
I was very proud of my friends, and very impressed by the other writers, and their work, and interested in what else and what next Axe River Books might have up their literary sleeves.
https://www.facebook.com/axeriverbooks
https://www.axeriverbooks.com/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/River-Books-Short-Story-Prize
Lois Elsden 