My Baby Shot Me Down - An Anthology by Women Writers

Posted by Luke Neima on Tue, 06 May 2014

Last week, Blinding Books (run by ABC's very own Richard Penny, aka Blighter's Rock) published an anthology by ten excellent women writers, many of them from ABC, called   My Baby Shot Me Down. It's quite easily the ABC publishing event of the year. No breakfast nook, den or garden is worth sitting in without a copy in your hands.

You'll find a lot of familiar names inside - the book features Clarissa Angus, Katherine Black, Maggy van Eijk, Harriet Goodale, Deborah Hambrook, Claudine Lazar, Rachael Smart, Ruth Starling, Alison Wassell and Laura Wilkinson. My Baby Shot Me Down puts the best work of these ten highly talented, highly distinctive authors right next to one another; stories and poems that bounce from one genre to another, each piece surprising, bold and inventive. 

But what should you expect from an all-women anthology? A celebration of female talent is long overdue, but though the authors of the collection are of one gender their themes are catholic. Expect perspicacious, unsettling analyses of everything from gender, identity, love and sexuality to violence, sex, politics and social mores. Action, suspense, humour and emotion in equal and abundant portions. There really is something for everyone in this collection - which is no light compliment. Here's a Herculean labour accomplished with ease and grace.

Luckily, Blinding Books is also featuring a series of interviews with the authors - their first, on Ruth Starling (or Canonette as we know her here on ABC) is available on the My Baby Shot Me Down blog. Have a look, and be sure to bookmark the page as there's more to come.

Copies of My Baby Shot Me Down can be purchased directly from Blinding Books or from Amazon. Get one now!

Comments

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Blighter's, well done! Writing is an achievement, bringing writers together in your book is an achievement too. In some ways this is even greater as it can give people the motivation to write and to continue writing. All the very bestsmiley    Elsie

Submitted by blackjack-davey on

what a great looking book

a plastic ballerina given the in-utero treatment, gas mask and wings

something I want to read, not an effing ebook

i hope there's a launch party

 

Submitted by blighters rock on

Thanks for putting this up, Luke. All the girls in the book are stoic Abcers. Without this site, the book would never have come into being, and what a result. An absolutely stonking read, so please get behind these ladies (sounds ominous) and show them the love by ordering a copy. 

For each copy, 50p goes to Abctales and 50p goes to Railway Children. Amazon swallows up £4 (yes, 50% of RRP) so please consider purchasing thru www.blindingbooks.com Either way's good if it gets the book out there.

 

Submitted by scratch on

I've not been very active of late although I did get news of this via another conduit.  

Well done Blighters.  That you have put together this panoply of outstanding female talent in one publication is absolutely FANTASTIC.  I'm in awe of both the talent on show and the organisation behind the scenes. The cap is truly doffed.

 

Submitted by ABCtalesMag on

I remember discussing this with Blighters at an ABCtales evening - must have been 3 years ago. Glad to see his project has reached fruition.

Submitted by Canonette on

Richard's done a fabulous job of bringing this project to fruition.  The anthology looks gorgeous and that's largely down to his exacting vision for the book, which verged on pernickety at times!  The designer, Shiv, has done wonders too.  I've got to know the women writers and their work much better through the process, which is probably the best thing about it for me.  It's been an amazing experience to be part of the publication.

 

Submitted by blighters rock on

Hey TC. Without Abc, this book wouldn't exist so all grace goes to you and the amazing team that keeps this site focussed and agile. The very same goes to Ru and Ray. Can't think of what else to say apart from thank you to the most beautiful authors out.

 

Submitted by ashb on

So Blighters is the man behind Blinding Books? Mystery explained... I had already been noticing Blinding elsewhere online. Well done, will be checking it out.

ashb

Submitted by jolono on

Well done ladies, I will be getting a copy asap.

 

Submitted by thanksforthepar... on

Looks fantastic! Really really well done.....so looking forward to having a read heart

La lutte continue in fine literary form!

 

Submitted by tcook on

My wife has purloined my copy - and she's loving it - but she's ill so I won't grab it back and that means you will have to wait for comments on the content!

 

However I can say that it looks terrific - and urge you all to get out there and purchase a copy. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Richard.

xx

Tony

Submitted by jolono on

Got my copy this morning. Blinding, absolutely blinding....