Insertponceyfrenchnamehere's blog

Posted by airyfairy on Fri, 13 Jan 2023 The diversity of the writing on ABC Tales is its greatest strength, and the Picks for this week are very different indeed. Story of the Week is Part One of ethancrane's 'Warchild', but that's only because I can't give it to both parts. Surreal, funny, acutely observant and completely absorbing, it's a cracking read: Warchild (part 1 of 2) | ABCtales Warchild (part 2 of 2) | ABCtales Poem of the Week is...

Our Story and Poem of the Month for December have very kindly been chosen by rjnewlyn: Pick of the Month – December 2022 Well, many congratulations to all of you – an excellent month’s writing and as spoilt for choice as ever. Prose first and a wholly arbitrary decision for Pick of the Month from such a range of styles and subjects. Particular recommendations include a really-quite-strange pandemic-type story from ethancrane that you’ll probably...

Posted by Ewan on Fri, 30 Dec 2022 People have done very well indeed, when one considers that most of the week has been Twixt-mas - or as the Scots have it "The Daft Days". Story of the Week Maddan's final monthly ghost story rounds the year off with a belter, "The Glitch". Poem of the Week I've chosen Onemorething's December Ravens as poem of the week, it's good to see the word 'bister' being used. Reading this kind of poetry is like watching...

Happy Christmas all. May you be safe, warm and well-fed. Wonderful writing as always to make choices from. And though neither of my choices are at all seasonal, they are both excellent pieces of writing. Story of the Week is Leander42’s Jordan Gravette. This is Part 1, but Part 2 is also up on the site now too. https://www.abctales.com/story/leander42/jordan-gravette-part-1-6 Poem of the Week must be Ewan’s deeply moving poem, ‘Hereafter’. https...

Posted by airyfairy on Fri, 16 Dec 2022 Reading the week's new work on ABC is always a cheering antidote to the current 'cold snap' we're having in the UK. Thanks to all those who have posted such wonderful stuff over the last seven days. Story of the Week goes to ethancrane's brilliantly surreal and funny 'Your Mutual Aid Hourly Pay Insults My Intelligence'. Like all the best surreal writing, it has at least one toe firmly planted in reality,...

I am more than delighted to announce the publication of ABCTales' very own Mark Burrow's first novella, Coo. Here's a review from Airyfairy: Anyone anxious that Mark Burrow’s highly inventive ‘Pigeon Variations’ might have lost something in its restructuring to novella length for publication need not worry. The new version, ‘Coo’, is sharper, funnier and more insightful than ever. The book’s nameless narrator is trapped in several cycles of...

A very big thank you to everyone who came to our Christmas Zoom Reading. I think it was one of our best so far, with people joining in from all over the world. I do love our regular events in Soho, but at our online readings we get the chance to see and hear people who'd otherwise not be able to come. An especially big thank you to Mark Burrow and onemorething for organising so brilliantly (it's not easy!)

Our Story and Poem of the Month for November has very kindly been chosen by Sean McNulty There was so much intense, moving, hilarious and brilliant writing this month that it was quite a task to choose. But here goes. Poem of the Month is The Woman on the Other Side of the Screen by Ewan, an extremely moving, powerfully written poem. Playful with language, but heartbreaking, and with a final metaphor that is tender and unforced. https://www...

Posted by Ewan on Fri, 02 Dec 2022 Goodness these seem to come around very quickly. Still, no complaints here: some very good writing this week. Story of the Week In the prose department, I should name check monodemo’s Imagine , Charlie 77’s Behind 1 & 2, Mark Say’s Ghost Village and CSquirrel’s hilarious The Community Water Officer 1 & 2. However, I do have a particular fondness for Maddan’s sequence of monthly horror stories and so...

Two wonderful picks for you today, but firstly, please have a look at our Virtual Reading Event announcement: https://www.abctales.com/blog/insertponceyfrenchnamehere/virtual-reading-night-sunday-december-11th With huge thanks to oonemorething for organising and Mark Burrow for offering to MC, this is going to be a brilliant event and we would love to see you there - do come! Our Story of the Week is The Pregnant Waitress by csquirrel which is...