Blogs

Story and Poem of the Month

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Sun, 02 Jan 2022

Our Final Story and Poem of the Month for 2021, very kindly chosen by Di_Hard: There have been so many fabulous pieces of writing this December, it was very difficult even narrowing the list down to 6 prose and 6 poems, and I have continually changed my mind about the final choices as they are all equally wonderful in different ways. Stories Christmas Boris is the latest instalment of Marandina's extremely funny satire on Boris Johnson, in the...

Hector, BBC Scotland, BBC iPlayer, writer and director Jake Gavin.

Posted by celticman on Sat, 01 Jan 2022

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000qt06/hector Peter Mullan always seems to snag the parts of the homeless alkie. Hector McAdam doesn’t even have to be an alkie, just grizzled looking as Peter Mullan in a beanie hat, and as if he’s just stepped out a cardboard box, washed up in a motorway café’s toilet and rustled up a quick snack. He’s left two pals and a dog still sleeping at the side of the building. He nips of the post office to pick...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 31 Dec 2021

I have been totally spoilt for choice for my very last 2021 picks - thank you so much for all the wonderful pieces you've posted this week - it's been a great pleasure to read them! My final choice for Story of the Week goes to rosaliekempthorne's wonderfully quirky 'In the Dark' and our Poem of the Week goes to onemorething for 'Mistletoe' which is a really special piece, even for her (and that's saying something). Big congratulations to both!...

Patrick Radden Keefe (2021) Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty.

Posted by celticman on Fri, 31 Dec 2021

I hadn’t heard of OxyContin, nor Purdue Pharmacy (Purdue Frederick) that manufactured the opioid drug. Nor had I seen Dopesick , a Disney backed television series based on the manufacture and sale of ‘hillbilly heroin’ that ravaged America, cost 450 000 American lives (and still counting) approximately $2 trillion of collateral damage at a conservative estimate. I hadn’t heard of the Sackler family, or the ‘Cadillac high’ of OxyContin and Valium...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Sat, 25 Dec 2021

A very Merry Christmas to all our lovely ABCTalers, wherever you are and whatever you're doing and I hope 2022 brings you all something a bit less covid-y than 2021. Thank you all for your wonderful contributions this year and for the generosity you've shown towards others with your encouragement and kindness. For my final picks of the year, I've chosen The Otherworldly Visitor of Oscaloo by donignacio which was well written and very funny, and...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 17 Dec 2021

Hoping everyone is safe and snug with mince pies and mulled wine. Our Story of the Week is the Christmas treat of Pad Life: So Here It Is’. https://www.abctales.com/story/airyfairy/pad-life-so-here-it Our Poem of the Week is JupiterMoon’s beautiful poem ‘and when we should have felt like strangers’. https://www.abctales.com/story/jupitermoon/and-when-we-should-have-felt-strangers Many more great things to read from this week - have been loving...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by onemorething on Fri, 17 Dec 2021

Hoping everyone is safe and snug with mince pies and mulled wine. Our Story of the Week is the Christmas treat of Pad Life: So Here It Is’. https://www.abctales.com/story/airyfairy/pad-life-so-here-it Our Poem of the Week is JupiterMoon’s beautiful poem ‘and when we should have felt like strangers’. https://www.abctales.com/story/jupitermoon/and-when-we-should-have-felt-strangers Many more great things to read from this week - have been loving...

INSIDE ELEPHANT BY CATHERINE POARCH - THE REVIEWS ARE IN!

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Thu, 16 Dec 2021

I am very pleased to announce the publication of 'Inside Elephant' - a delightful and very special collection of poetry by our very own Catherine Poarch. Published on December 17th, it's available to pre-order now From Silverwood Books: https://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/inside-elephant-by-catherine-poarch or from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-Elephant-Catherine-Poarch/dp/1800421613/... Two reviews for you - the first from airyfairy and...

Ewan Gault (2021) The Sound of Sirens.

Posted by celticman on Wed, 15 Dec 2021

I took Ewan Gault’s novel with me to get my Covid booster and flu jab. An hour-and-half waiting. It’s a pocket-sized book with the print a bit too wee for my liking. But I got stuck in and read most of the short twenty-six chapters in one long wheeze. I kept a few of the pages back to enjoy the denouement when my mind was a little clearer. Crime/Thriller category. Tartan Noir. Ian Rankin, who wrote William McIlvanney’s latest Laidlaw, knew...

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