I’m thrilled to find that Paisley Shirt has been long listed in the Saboteur Awards 2018. Organised annually by Sabotage Reviews, the Saboteur Awards highlight the achievements of small-scale literature and live spoken word shows that might not otherwise achieve critical and public attention. Nominations are entirely from the public and over five thousand votes were cast in the first round. To be long listed in these awards means that Paisley Shirt has come in the top fifteen nominations nationally for the best short story collection. The competition continues for those who have been short listed and you can cast a vote here: saboteurawards.org
Another Dorset success comes with the long listing of Apothecary in the Best Spoken Word Regular Night. Apothecary is held on the second Tuesday of every month from 7pm at the Beach & Barnicott in Bridport. It provides an opportunity to share a variety of spoken word forms including stories and flash fiction, poetry, rap, comedy and musical contributions from singer-songwriters. Delivered in an open mic format, contributors are offered a five-minute slot to share their work with an enthusiastic and receptive audience. The organisers are now delighted to be officially amongst the top fifteen regular spoken word nights in the country.
