Many thanks to my publisher Gold SF (and Goldsmiths Press) for nominating my book – and for having taken a chance on my collection in the first place. Congrats to all the other longlistees who can be found on the BSFA’s website here.

Good luck to all those in the other categories too, including Gold SF series editor Paul March-Russell. All the winners will be announced in April.

Many thanks to Neil for his work on this recording – and especially thanks for his beautiful harmonica playing, which you can hear in the background later in the story.

It was great to see so many former colleagues, writer friends, former students, current colleagues and others on the night, and to help the book take flight in the best way possible – in a warm and magical atmosphere where we could all celebrate what is surely the greatest of literary forms… the short story.

The evening started with readings from three great writers – Ailsa Cox, John Rutter and Elizabeth Baines – and was followed by an interval then a couple of readings from me (‘Little arrows’ – a story about a woman’s difficult relationship with her mother and linked to the figure of the robin – and also ‘Piano’, a piece of flash fiction, which also explores a complex mother/daughter relationship).

Kim then led a Q&A with me and all the other readers and it was really nice to answer questions about process, the short story as well as how to order a short story collection. Not an easy process!

Thanks to Kim and also Clare Allen at the Arts Centre for organising the event – and thanks to all who came along. It was a fab way to send Maybe the Birds off out into the world.

The book features fourteen short stories, mostly speculative with some realist, which engage with the figure of the bird to greater and lesser degrees.

One of the stories – ‘Leather’ – was published in Best British Short Stories in 2021, with some others either winning or being listed in prizes or published elsewhere. There are a number of new stories which haven’t been seen elsewhere before too though.

The book will possibly be out in autumn 2025, but watch this space for more details. I’m hugely grateful to the team at Gold SF for supporting me and my work. Exciting times!

Following a 12-month embargo period after publication, the interview is now available as part of the journal’s open access policy.

‘”Mainlining Ray Bradbury”: An interview with Carmen Maria Machado’ can be accessed via this link: https://ajashworth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Interview_Carmen_Maria_Machado.docx

In the interview, Carmen talks about her development as a writer, inspirations, short story endings, as well as difficulties writing during the pandemic and more.

I hope you enjoy reading this. The original article is available here.

I’m very excited to say I’ve just interviewed the American novelist and short story writer Diane Cook for the journal Short Fiction in Theory and Practice.

I spoke to Diane over email about the ecological aspects of her writing, talking in particular about the stories from her fabulous – and highly acclaimed – collection Man V. Nature. We touched on the environmental and postapocalyptic aspects of her work, as well as her thoughts on the short story generally. The interview is for the journal’s forthcoming special issue on ‘The short story and ecology’ – guest edited by me and fellow Associate Editor Aleix Tura Vecino, and featuring an exciting selection of new eco-fiction, eco-criticism and reviews.

Diane was a delight to talk to so please watch this space for details of when the issue is published over the next few months. It will be available to individual and institutional subscribers – and I will also be able to publish a version of the interview on here in a year’s time.

As part of my role as Associate Editor of the journal Short Fiction in Theory and Practice, I interviewed American short story writer Carmen Maria Machado recently.

It was a pleasure to speak to Carmen about her inspirations and experiences of writing short fiction – including what excites her about the form, her progress as a writer (moving from realist to fantastical stories), rejection, her inability to write during the pandemic and writing about sex and gender as well as short story endings. She also spoke a little about her forthcoming collection A Brief and Fearful Star, which I’m particularly keen to read as it features comets (astronomy being an interest of mine).

The interview is available to read in the latest issue of the journal (subscription or institutional access required), but if that’s not possible it will be available for free online in a year’s time.

Very happy to say my story ‘Birthday’ has now been published by Fictive Dream.

It is a piece which considers the idea of favourite children – and what it feels like to not be one. It’s an idea that came to me many years ago, and which was written quite quickly… apart from the ending, which took a long time to get right. Years, in fact.

I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks to editor Laura Black for accepting it.

Delighted to announce that Fictive Dream has accepted a new short story of mine and will publish it in late September.

‘Birthday’ is told from the point of view of a young girl on her birthday and is a story from the new collection I’m currently working on.

I’ll post a link here as soon as it’s published. Many thanks to Laura Black from Fictive Dream for accepting the piece.

As well as writing, I’m now opening up to provide appraisal and mentoring services for fiction writers who might need it.

The services being offered are:

• Short story appraisal – a report on a short story of any length, which highlights what is working well and what might need further attention in a particular piece (including issues with characterisation, voice, dialogue, etc.).
• Manuscript appraisal – a report on a collection of short stories or a novel, which highlights what is working as well as any issues with plot(s), characterisation, voice, dialogue, tone, etc. For short story collections, I can also advise on coherence and how the book works as a whole, as well as give input on how to order your collection.
• Mentoring – if you would like to be mentored and guided as you produce a collection of stories or a novel, then I can read and give feedback on work-in-progress at agreed intervals, including a follow-up meeting online to discuss feedback/talk about ways forward.

If you are interested in any of these services, please get in touch with me through the contact form on this website initially. Any feedback does not, of course, guarantee you will be signed by an agent or be published, but it will certainly make your submissions stronger. And if I feel I can advise where it might be good for you to submit your work then I will.

I really love helping writers be the best they can be, so please do get in touch if you feel I can help.

Further to this, please get in touch if you are a university, festival or other organisation and would like me to lead writing sessions or take part in other events. I have led community workshops previously and also have a number of years’ experience teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students in universities – I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and am passionate about student-centred learning. (I may be available at short-notice for Associate Tutor/Lecturer work in universities in the event of illness, etc.)

I look forward to hearing from you!