[acornlive] Ashes Anthologies 1 & 2

Alex Keegan (acornlive@dublinwriters.org)
Sat, 27 Jan 2001 08:06:35 -0000 

Folks, I have a fair few of the previous anthology to shift, but more
importantly I need to take orders for the Ashes 2000 anthology. For those
who haven't seen an Ashes Anthology, it's VERY good looking, A4, larger
print, with a very dramatic cover, packed, of course, with good writing.

Last year's anthology is UKP £5 or US $10

This anthology (detailed below) is UKP £6 US $12

inc p&p



The content for the second anthology isn't precisely decided yet but more or
less it'll be in terms of placings, the final eight, obviously, then
3rds/4ths/5ths in each quarter in the majority of cases. But there'll be
some editorial balancing at work, I suspect. Below is a top-down likelihood.
The further down the list we go, the less likely a given story will be in
the anthology, but other factors such as balance, word-length, "fit" (or
back-handers, the going rate is £500,000) may affect things lower down the
pecking order.

Many of the authors on this list will be familar to Brits as they've made
many prize-listings. IMO there are a few reasons for these regular
appearances: effort, persistence, RE-writing. Hammer-hammer-hammer,
submit-submit-submit. Of the top eight, six I know to be rewrites after
editorial feedback!

I should add that of those authors on this list that I know through my work
in Boot Camp and at various Writers Conferences, another major factor is
these people READ, in particular they read journals to which they submit,
and anthologies like ASHES, The Bridport, Fish.

Too many aspiring writers don't buy anthologies and journals, then wonder
why their stories don't meet editorial requirements!

The first column is a VERY approximate priority (after the first 8)

1 133 We Wear Watches, Zillah Bethel, Maidstone, UK
2 118 Breakfast With Andy, John Ravenscroft, Boston, Lincs UK
3 138 Reading By the Light of the Moon, Lois Peterson, Canada
4 130 The Moon has Eyes, Nigel Spriggs, Winchester, UK
5 130 Going Home, Monica Ali, London, UK
6 117 Peter & Wendy, Lynne Barret-Lee, Cardiff, Wales
7 122 Magic,Jim Nichols, Maine, USA
8 123 Black Holes, Steve Stringer, Norwich, UK

8 130 The Ship and The Ordinary Star, Zilla Bethell

This story was second only to "We Wear Watches" in one quarter but was
disqualified on the "only one prize per quarter rule". If it's still
available I would like to include it. We are waiting for Zillah's publishing
record

9 125 Baby Beluga,     Lois Peterson
9 125 Sign Language, Lois Peterson

See an editor's problem? Lois's work is always close up there but she has a
story in the top eight already, so only one of these two would get printed,
and maybe then, it might not.

  9 125 Love-All                 David King
  9 124 Downsizing            David King
  9 123 Man of the House  David King
  9 120 Resja,                     David King
  9 118 Scorpio                  David King

David King is another writer who regularly "knocks the door" in Ashes. David
won the $5,000 World Wide Writers Story of the Year last year for his story
"A Yellow Jersey. I will be choosing one story from these five DK stories.

  9 115 Loons, Jim Nicholls (3rd in Quarter)

Jim Nicholls, won a quarterly "first" with MAGIC and has been published in
Esquire, American Fiction, Paris Transcontinental, among others. Other
prizes include second in the River City Writing Awards for Fiction, 5th in
American Fiction and First Place in the 199 Willamette Award in Poetry and
Fiction for "Slow Monkeys" published in Clackamas Literary Review.

9 121 Girl Afraid of Dying,  Mark Fowler, Stoke

A very short, unusual piece I expect to use.

10 130 Up to the Old Place, Joe Pardue, USA

Joe Pardue won the Leslie Garret Prize (USA) in 1999

10 126 Manhattan Evening, Eighty Degrees, R Hollins, Twickenham
10 122 Phil Goes Cosmic Bowling, Joan Wilking, Massachusetts, USA

Joan has a number of recent publications including Mississippi Review

11 127 Wartime Scrapbook of Dieter R, Alan Wells, St Neotts

Alan is well-known and regularly a prize winner in UK competitions including
The Lichfield Prize

11 124 Rubicon, Sean Klein, USA
11 119 Triple Helix, Shelagh Nugent, Wirral, UK
11 121 Pilgrims, Mark Fowler, Stoke, UK
12 125 Gagging For It, Joanne King, Sheffield, UK
12 125 Going Cold, Zoe King, Diss, Norfolk
12 125 Happy Families, Caroline Wormald, Weston, UK
12 124 The Scenic Route, Paulette Rommel (Winner 1999 Ashes)
12 123 The Last Betrayal, Jane Rogers, Sheffield, England
12 120 Just a Toe-nail away, Silvia Petter, Ornex, France
12 120 Maggots in the Rice, Sarah Salway, Edingburgh, Scotland
12 120 Marta's Coat, Penny Feeny, Liverpool UK
12 115 The Birthday Gift, Diana Forrester, USA
12 118 I Love You Statistically, Steve Stringer, Norwich UK




Alex

Alex Keegan
Kingfisher Barn
Lower Farm Court
Hambridge Lane
Newbury
Berks
RG14 5TH

Tel (044) (0)1635-34317

http://www.btinternet.com/~alex.keegan1

Boot Camp http://www.onelist.com/community/Gridders




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