Publishing Successes in 2023

I had two stories published and recorded by professional actors on The Casket of Fictional Delights. The first, Only Half in Shade was inspired by a day out at Arley Arboretum during a house-sit in Worcestershire, and my thoughts while watching the wind move through a field of barley. It’s a flash piece so a short read! Read with great feeling by Menna Bonsels. 

Also on CoFD is a short story set in the Black Mountains and loosely based on a family picnic when my sister and cousin climbed a mountain in pursuit of a herd of ponies and got lost in a sudden mist. The Maids of Pen Neidr. is performed by Welsh voice actor, Jack Ayres. His interpretation of a South Wales/border accent is spot on and really adds to the story.

On Reckon Review, an American online journal, I have a semi-autobiographical story, A Stranger Selling J-Cloths. In the seventies, Travellers often called selling their wares and this story is inspired by the suspicions around strangers in the small community in which I grew up. I hope you enjoy reading!

*

Anthology of ´Ultimate Novel Writing Course´ 21/22. Read mine and other students´ opening paragraphs by clicking on the link below.

JW_UNWC_Anthology_UK_2122

Despite the recent Covid restrictions 2021 has been a much better year for me personally than ‘20. Regarding my writing I’ve had some successes as well. Not being one to blow my own trumpet, I have been encouraged to share these successes with you by my tutor on the Ultimate Novel Writing Course, Helen Cox.

Firsts in 2021

I performed a Zoom reading of my story, A Pocket for Secrets’ for an audience of English Majors in New York. And the editor and owner of NewLit Salon Press, Brian Centrone nominated me for the Pushcart Prize. I got a sizeable payment for my reading so it was worth staying up till 2:30 am! You can purchase the anthology, Dress You Up, here or alternatively get in touch with me for a hard copy.

In the UK I was runner-up in Mslexia flash fiction contest with story, ‘The Half-seeing Horse.’ (The title is a nod to Annie Proulx and The Half-skinned Steer) The HsH piece is included in the anthology, Best Women’s Short Fiction 2021. E-book costs 6 pounds via the link.

Best Women’s Short Fiction 2021 contains 12 flash fictions and 12 short stories from women writers around the world. These stories were shortlisted for the 2021 Mslexia Short Story and Flash Fiction competitions.

‘I can honestly say I have never read a stronger set of submissions.’ – A L Kennedy 

‘I marvelled at the language, detail and implication used to create such strong and emotionally resonant stories.’ – Jude Higgins

Featuring: Neleigh Olson, Brid Cummings, Moira Dalgetty, Amanda Hildebrandt, P R Woods, Carole Burns, L J M Wadsworth, Lyndsey Croal, Sarah Klenbort, Ruby Bosanquet, Nera Hart, Christina Sweeney-Baird, Marissa Hoffmann, Corrine Leith, Nafisa Muhtadi, Letty Butler, Jules C Anemone, Susan Carey, Karen Ashe, Hazel Osmond, Alyson Porter, Stephanie Ryan, Ruth LeFaive, Stephanie Donowho

Story written in Dutch to be published!

Hoor de Dieren (Listen to the Animals) will be published in hyper-local magazine, Lentse Lucht, in their pre-Christmas issue. A story inspired by a folk tale which my mum told me about how at midnight on Christmas Eve farm animals have the gift of speech.
I have translated other tales from English to Dutch but this is my first one written directly in Dutch.

Throwing her to the Wolves, an autobiographical story, creative non-fiction, long-listed by Reflex Fiction in their quarterly competition.

An amusing piece, The Taste of Shoe Polish, available to read online or listen to the podcast on the Casket of Fictional Delights.

July 2020

So thrilled to have my short story published on @fabulistTales ! Inspired by the surrealist stories of Leonora Carrington ‘Mother’s Fine Crockery in Shards,’ has been described as a somewhat bawdy yarn concerning a woman, a man and a talking horse. Will the marriage survive? read to find out.

June 2020
Flash fiction, Silent Witnesses written in response to the pandemic. This was written during a Fast Flash Reunion Extravaganza for students of the wonderful Kathy Fish.

Successes in 2019

Hunting, flash fiction published in Strukturiss Journal, a story inspired by dreams and my art college days.

Elizabeth Taylor’s Eyes, published on Potato Soup Journal. A kitten is crossing a busy intersection. A juggernaut is trundling towards it. Read the story to find out what happens.

Derelict, a 101-word story set in a dystopian future where books are forbidden.

A Gentleman’s Wager, my re-imagining of Beauty and The Beast, is now online and available as a podcast via the link below. This twisted tale was inspired by Angela Carter’s collection of subversive fairytales, The Bloody Chamber.

What more could Bella lose? Her father already gambled away their home and possessions. When they both arrive at an insalubrious inn, events spiral into unimaginable darkness. Read, A Gentleman’s Wager and find out what happened!

‘Healer,’ already published online at Reflex Fiction is now featured in ‘The Real Jazz Baby’ anthology by Reflex Press. It won the Best Anthology Saboteur Awards in 2020. Available via the link as an e-book or paperback.

The Real Jazz Baby

£3.99 – £9.99

The Real Jazz Baby features 162 flash fictions from over 120 of the best flash fiction writers in the world. These short short stories, each no longer than 360 words, were long-listed for the four rounds of the Reflex flash fiction competition held in 2018. Within these pages traditional narrative shares space with the boldly experimental. Humour sits alongside tragedy. The Real Jazz Baby is the perfect introduction to readers new to flash fiction, and essential reading for those already familiar with what the form can offer.

In June every year as part of National Flash Fiction Day celebrations, a flood of curated flash fictions is posted over a period of 24 hours. My 500-word story is about a woman in a toxic relationship; Seven Ways to Wear a Pashmina. The borrowed form was inspired by the highly regarded Fast Flash Workshop I followed with FF expert, Kathy Fish earlier this year.

Woo woo! I won the April 2019, Mslexia Little Ms flash fiction competition!!

The year 2019 has started well; I was long-listed in the prestigious Mslexia Magazine’s flash fiction competition! Mslexia attracts the best writing from around the globe. The competition was judged by flash fiction innovater, Meg Pokrass.

Four new flash fictions online in 2018! Enjoy 🙂

A seasonal 300-word story which captures the melancholy of the season, ‘Christmas Still in the Basement.’ Frosty the Snowman is just a crumpled heap in Tammy’s basement. Curious to know why? Find out here on the Casket of Fictional Delights.

In October 2018 I was amongst the eight winners in the Casket of Fictional Delights Flash Fiction Competition, judged by flash fiction expert, David Gaffney. Read my story about an obsessive character who collects long hairs from plugholes, The Plughole Picker on Casket of Fictional Delights

‘Healer’ on Reflex Fiction

‘Swanning Around’ on Flash Flood Journal

In October 2017, I was placed amongst the 10 prize winners of The Casket of Fictional Delights Flash Fiction competition. Bestselling author, Kit de Waal was the judge. Listen to actor, Vivien Taylor perform my story, To See a Star, set in wartime Amsterdam. Enjoy  all the stories or fast forward to 6m 28 sec where my story begins on the podcast here.

Caged Birds, a story set in Amsterdam’s Red Light District was published in Seven Deadly Sins anthology by Stringybark Publishing on sale here.

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing about an old lady who is not as gullible as she appears, was also placed in the top thirty stories and published by Stringybark Publishing in their anthology, A Gentleman and a Scholar.

Earlier in 2017, A Bit of Sparkle, set in a Bangladeshi sweatshop and a Bristolian working -class home, was accepted for 100 Voices volume III anthology. Available from Amazon via the link.

In February 2016 and July 2017, I won the Little Ms, Flash Fiction Competition and my pieces were published in the Mslexia newsletter. Mslexia is an important literary magazine where many women writers have launched their careers, so this has given a real boost to my writing confidence.

2015, and my flash fiction story based on the true account of the SAS recruits who died of heatstroke on the eponymous, ‘Pen y Fan,’ was published in, Landmarks. Landmarks is an anthology of the best flash fiction, published to celebrate National Flash Fiction day 2015. Rubbing shoulders with the great and the good of FF here!

In 2014, ‘A Gibbous Moon’ was selected for the Raging Aardvark anthology! Two teenage girls perform an ancient Witches’ ceremony in their bedroom, after that strange and terrifying things happen. For sale on Amazon here.

In 2012, ‘Meltdown,’ was performed at Liars League live storytelling event in Leeds  and I was shortlisted in Fish Publishing Flash Fiction competition. Over 1,000 entrants took part! I also had four new stories published online, links below. All flash fiction pieces are under 500 words.

Links to published writing

Coming Home, an autobiographical story, published in Amsterdam Quarterly AQ7.

Church custodian, Mary Samuels is livid when a bronze sculpture in her care is nicked and possibly melted down. As the story unfolds we discover that Mary has a dark and unexpected past…

The gentlemen are assembled, the brandy poured. And the club’s newest member has a startling tale to tell.

Wolf at the Door, published in Writers Abroad Magazine. A new take on an old fairy tale.

Flash fiction piece, Alchemy, set in a London art college in Thatcher’s Britain has been published on Story Shack. It is accompanied by a beautiful illustration of Myatt’s Fields by Sherri Oliver.

Rafael’s Madonnna and conversations with the head of Fine and Decorative Arts at the Rijksmuseum, Gregor Weber inspired, A Veiled Lady published on Story Shack.

Flash fiction piece Tryst, published on National Flash Flood blog as part of the celebrations for NFFD.

Article about home-swapping in Weekly Telegraph

Non-fiction, Ten Surprising Facts about Tulips, in Writers Abroad Magazine.

Non-fiction, How to Swear like a Dutchie, in Writers Abroad Magazine.

Article, Working the Windows about red light district tour

Women behind the Wire – memories of life in a Japanese internment camp in Summer 2011 issue of Herstoria. Read the article online here.

Anthology on Amazon, Scary Shorts for Halloween

Writers Abroad anthology available for Kindle Foreign Flavours
Writers Abroad anthology available for Kindle Foreign Encounters
Writers Abroad anthology available for Kindle Foreign and Far Away
Writers Abroad anthology available for Kindle Kaleidoscope

Some articles/stories are published using my real name, Angela Williams.