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Going on holiday? Well aren't you the lucky ones. If you're stuck for something to read, you could do worse than checking out some of the following publications:

- White Summer, by Luke Bitmead. Overwhelmingly funny, thoughtful and brave, this is lad-lit at its best and most philosophical. Ideal for reading with a glass of wine, on a balcony, watching the world go by. The author, Luke, is responsible for the Luke Bitmead Writers' Bursary. For more information, please visit his publisher's website http://www.legendpress.co.uk/ or on http://www.lukebitmead.com/

- Fifteen Terrors, by David 'Doc' Byron (A collection of Doc's very ''diverse'' horror fiction, sure to please the diehard horror fans out there! Only $2.99 a pop. the link to find out about purchasing info is here: www.freewebs.com/nvhmag1/nvfbookpromotions.htm

- Hawg, by Steven Shrewsbury. The latest publication from the Graveside Tales stable, "HAWG ignites that creeping essence we seek from horror and Shrewsbury shows us he has no boundaries. This may be the best work I've read all year". Quotation from John Paul Allen, author of GIFTED TRUSTand MONKEY LOVE. For purchase information, see http://gravesidetales.com/

Tags: david byron, graveside tales, legend press, reading recommendations

Latest news from Itchy Leeds, as written by AJ Kirby: http://www.itchyleeds.co.uk/article.cfm?id=5815&cityid=8&section=177

To write for Itchy Leeds, please contact AJ Kirby on andrewkirby92(at)btinternet.com.

Tags: aj kirby, andykirby, itchy leeds, whats on

AJ Kirby's been all over the publishing industry press over the past couple of weeks, largely thanks to the third place award at the Luke Bitmead Writers' Bursary event. Here's a round-up:

From the Legend Press website: http://forward.legendpress.co.uk/mainsite/2008/07/winner-of-the-first-luke-bitmead-bursary-announced.html

From 'The Open Press' : http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=press&id=35573 

Writers' Market: http://www.writersmarket.co.uk/?id=17777

The Bookseller: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/63826-unpublished-author-gets-2500.html

Write Words: http://www.writewords.org.uk/news/1139.asp

A more general piece about Andy's work can be found on the Writers' News website. Here's the link: http://www.writersnews.co.uk/newsaug08/ambition.asp

From Des Lewis, editor of Nemonymous 8: Cone Zero... And by the way, don't go asking me the answers. I have probably even less chance than you! Buy the book and you'll increase your chances: http://weirdmonger.blog-city.com/cone_zero_under_way.htm ! For payment by Paypal - send to DF Lewis at bfitzworth@yahoo.co.uk

CONE ZERO AUTHOR IDENTIFICATION COMPETITION

A prize of £50 by PayPal from Nemonymous to the reader who guesses or assesses (by whatever means) the most correct authors of the stories in the CONE ZERO book. Of course, the authors themselves are not eligible to enter. Deadline: March 4^th 2009 (when authors are due to be revealed).

If there is a tie, the prize will be shared.

The Editor's decision is final.

Please write to bfitzworth@yahoo.co.uk with your choices. If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your entry within a week, please try again. 

You can enter the competition up to three times, but each entry will be treated separately.

The story titles:

• "The Fathomless World"
• "The Point of Oswald Masters"
• "Cone Zero" (page 23)
• "Cone Zero" (page 33)
• "Cone Zero, Sphere Zero"
• "An Oddly Quiet Street"
• "Always More Than You Know"
• "Cone Zero" (page 129)
• "Going Back For What Got Left Behind"
• "Cone Zero"...

Tags: aj kirby, competition, cone zero, nemonymous

A.J Kirby's short story, 'By Hook or By Crook', has been accepted for publication by Underground magazine (online, in the first instance). The story, which examines one man's personal quest to rediscover his father, is one of Andy's personal favourites, and he is delighted that it will now be available for others to read.

About Underground Magazine

The Underground Magazine publishes imaginative and experimental fiction, thought-provoking articles and essays, reviews, satire, poetry and artwork. It exists online and also as an annual real-world publication containing the best of the year's stories, articles and artwork. To find out more, follow this link: http://www.undermagz.co.uk/index.htm

Tags: ajkirby, andy kirby fiction, andykirbythewriter, by hook or by crook, published work, underground magazine

A.J Kirby's novel When Elephants walk through the Gorbals was chosen as third place from a list of hundreds of entries for the Like Bitmead Writers' Bursary at an award show run by publishers Legend Press on Thursday 24th June.

The first Luke Bitmead bursary was set up to support fledgling novel writers; the bursary presented a cash award of £2,500 for the winner and a publishing contract from Legend Press. It was set up by Luke's family in memory of the brilliant young writer's life-work before his tragic and untimely death on 27th October 2006 aged 34 years. Luke's family, along with the aspiring young publishing company Legend Press, who published Luke's novels White Summer and Heading South, formed the judging panel for the awards.

Andy was delighted and shocked with the result, and said: 'It is a great indication of the progress of my writing that it has been recognised by such a great publishing company. Every writer likes to feel as though their work has been validated, and this award will enable me to push on even further. But what's even better is that the award was set up by Luke Bitmead's family, in recognition of his own...

Tags: ajkirby, andykirbythewriter, luke bitmead, when elephants walk through the gorbals

This month's FREE short fiction by A.J Kirby can be found by following this link: www.freewebs.com/nvhstories/ajkirby.htm

The story is called 'Sleep's Slippery Tentacles' and has been published on-line by New Voices in Fiction magazine. Your comments are welcome!

Tags: ajkirby, ajkirbythewriter, new voices in fiction, nvfmagazine, sleeps slippery tentacles

Tags: ajkirby, andy kirby, cone zero review, nemonymous

News just in: New Voices in Fiction (NVF) magazine have picked up not one, not two, but three of AJ Kirby's short stories. 'The Sticky End of the Wrong' will feature in their forthcoming e-book anthology, Ten Nails, while 'Sleep's Slippery Tentacles' and 'Last Chance Saloon' will feature in the August-October issue of the magazine.

AJ Kirby said: 'This is fantastic news. The Ten Nails anthology looks a brilliant project and I'm proud to be involved. David 'Doc' Byron (Founder/ moderator/ editor) has got a really good thing going with the NVF magazine, and you can guarantee that with him at the helm, the finished product will be something really special.'

So, how can you find out more about Ten Nails and NVF magazine? Simply follow these links:

Ten Nails: www.freewebs.com/tennailsebook

New Voices in Fiction magazine: www.freewebs.com/nvhmag1

Tags: andy kirby, andykirbythewriter, nvf magazine, ten nails anthology, tennailsebook

An extract from A.J Kirby's short story, 'The Broken Egg-Timer', has been published on The Dark Hoard Project website: http://www.darkhoard.com/excerpts.htm.

It is described by editor Nick Button as "A marvelous story, with plenty of depth. An excerpt can't really do it justice, but still a recommended read."

Tags: ajkirbythewriter, dark hoard, the broken egg-timer

A.J Kirby is the lead feature in the August edition of Writers' News magazine which is available from all good newsagents. The article celebrates Andy's recent good run of publications and also his plans to the future... all of which won't be news to regular visitors to this site.

To find out more about Writers' News, please visit their website at: www.writersnews.co.uk

Tags: aj kirby, august 2008, feature, members news, writers news

A.J Kirby's fiction features in the new release in the Nemonymous series, edited by the British writer D.F Lewis. Already, reviewers are raving about the work; "In 10-20 years time people will be talking about stuff like this as being the beginning of something new, and tatty old copies of Nemonymous will be selling for stupid amounts." Here's how you can get your hands on your very own copy:

CONE ZERO costs £9 - inclusive of UK postage and of  'Surface Mail' elsewhere. (Please enquire for other forms of payment or postage).

Make your payment by Paypal to DF Lewis at bfitzworth@yahoo.co.uk and soon you'll be 'all coned up' man.

Guess which story is by A.J Kirby 

The Nemoymous series is unique in that all stories are published anonymously, with the identities of contributing authors being normally withheld until the following issue comes out. This arrangement temporarily strips the reader of any prejudices surrounding the author's name (including popularity, gender and place of origin), and thus levels the playing field for the writer.

 To find out more, please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemonymous

Tags: ajkirbythewriter, andy kirby, buy now, cone zero, nemonymous purchase information

Considering the fact that A.J Kirby is clearly not a person of the female variety, he was asked to write a review of the fledgling publication, The Thinking Man's Crumpet (TTMC), a cross-genre fiction magazine written by women. And how could he turn them down when they asked so nicely?

The review has been posted on TTMC's site: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=329910803&blogID=411594574 For further information on how to purchase this magazine, or on how to submit, plase see: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=329910803

Here it is in full:

By Nenonymous Cone Zero author Andrew Kirby:

'Despite being only a baby when compared to other literary magazines (the first issue is Summer 2008) TTMC has already managed to deliver a publication which has a strong, individual identity. Although it does have a home-made feel about it, the fact that the writing is so strong ensures that this 'brand' has staying power which other similar sized magazines may lack. With original, sexy fiction and poetry from daring authors such as Anna Stephens, Roswell Ivory and Trudi Topham, this first issue sets high standards. As a thinking man, I certainly wouldn't mind another bite of this crumpet.'

Tags: ajkirby, literature, magazines, reviews, the thinking mans crumpet, ttmc

Check out AJ Kirby's event guide for Leeds for July 2008: http://www.itchyleeds.co.uk/article.cfm?id=5751&cityid=8&section=177. There are entries for most fields - Sports, Arts, Dance/ Drama, Music and Film - but take particular note of the World Corporate Games entry; lots of opportunities to take the piss...

Further advice for July 2008. And this one's for free: don't go trimming hedges with an electric saw without wearing goggles. AJ Kirby has been suffering as a result of a bizarre gardening injury - a lascerated eyeball - after attempting to tackle the hedge which threatened to eat his house in Leeds. Who would have thought that a suburban Sunday gardening session would be more dangerous than weekend-long drinking sessions or football trips?

Tags: andykirbythewriter, eyeballs, itchyleeds, july 2008, leeds guide, whats on

A.J Kirby's 10,000 word story, 'Business as Usual', has been published in the Word Weavers General Fiction Anthology, and is available to purchase from Lulu's print-on-demand service. The story, which revolves around a digruntled IT executive and his discovery of a suicidal colleague's body in the server room, can be read as a critique on the way that the world of work drains precious energy from people, turning them into little more than helpless husks. Anyone that is dissatisfied in their job and is looking for something more from life might find the story enlightening.

The anthology, which is sub-titled Of Shadows and Substance Volume 1, is an intoxicating book full of different genres, a mesh of authors and packed with talent. And all of this for only £6.58 + shipping!?! We must be crazy!

You can get your hands on your copy on-line by following this link: http://www.lulu.com/content/2719693. Payment can be made by Paypal or with a Credit or Debit card (please note that there is also a shipping cost added to the initial fee.) If you're strapped for cash, or for some inexplicable reason prefer to read off a computer screen, you can download a copy...

Tags: aj kirby fiction, andykirbythewriter, business as usual, lulu, of shadows and substance, word weavers

A.J Kirby's feature, 'Dawn of the Dead' heads up the latest bunch of fives from the Itchy Leeds website. The article, which offers handy hints for what to do WHEN (not if) zombies finally take over, can be found at: http://www.itchyleeds.co.uk/article.cfm?id=5718&cityid=8&section=177

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Here's the intro:

"The politicians have done their politicking. The boffins have done their boffing. But in the final reckoning, all have come up short. My friends, we were all wrong, for now we stand on the brink of a zombie apocalypse."

Tags: ajkirby, andykirbythewriter, itchy leeds, leeds, zombie apocalypse

Manchester-based print journal, Sein und Werden, will publish A.J Kirby's short story, 'No two Snowflakes are the same' in their 'Sein; Cosein; Tangent' issue, which will be appearing on the shelves in late June.

Watch this space for full details of how you can get your hands on a copy.

Tags: jackson froid, no two snowflakes are the same, sein und werden

To find out more about the Green Story, and to  what twists and turns are in store, please visit the website. And remember, at the end of the year the Green Story will be published into a book and be available to purchase with all proceeds going to the Woodland Trust, so you'll be able to do your bit for the environment as well as enjoy the writing!

Tags: aj kirby, buccaneering boy, green story

Cone Zero is ready to land.

'But what is Cone Zero?' I hear you ask. Perhaps you'll reel off more questions: 'Who is Cone Zero?' or  'When is Cone Zero?'

I'll wearily shake my head like the old sage I am, and politely suggest that the telling question you should be asking is this: 

'Will you be able to survive Cone Zero when it arrives?'

The mystery starts here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemonymous

(Please scroll down to the bottom of the Wikepedia page to find details of the stories which will be included in the forthcoming Nemonymous 8: Cone Zero anthology, edited by the British writer, D.F. Lewis.)

Nemonymous is unique in that all stories are published anonymously, with the identities of contributing authors being normally withheld until the following issue comes out. We can't tell you much about WHY we're mentioning this exciting new book, suffice to say that you might well be hearing a lot more about Nemonymous Cone Zero on these very pages.

Tags: andykirbythewriter, cone zero, nemonymous 8, wikipedia

A.J Kirby's 'Survival of the Fittest' has been announced as one of the top three stories in the Golden Visions magazine contest and will be printed in the July 2008 edition. A further announcement regarding the story's placing (first, second or third) will be made on the Golden Visions magazine website at the end of June: http://www.goldenvisionsmagazine.biz/ But of course, we'll bring you all the latest news here on andykirbythewriter.20m.com.

The Golden Visions magazine contest invited entries based on the theme of 'freedom'. How each author chose to examine this theme was up to them. In the case of A.J Kirby's 'Survival of the Fittest', the story explored how we have restrictions on our own freedoms through the shackles of work... something very close to the author's heart.

Here's a brief extract:

"Can I really do this? Can I really sell my soul?

One look at my battered old Sarcophagus wedged behind the bins in the car park so it can't be seen by the drivers of the sleek Mastiffs, the polished Dobermans, the brutal Rottweilers and the guffawing Hyenas tells me that I can sell my soul. And if you could see my apartment (box-room might be a better description; you virtually...

Tags: aj kirby, andykirbythewriter, golden visions, survival of the fittest, work

Family. Tradition. Growing things. Dull? Not in andykirbythewriter's universe. AJ Kirby's new short story, 'The Allotment' is a mixture of kitchen-sink, magic-realism, and soap opera, if you will. It has been published on the prestigious American New Writing site, The Second Hand.

The Second Hand editor, Todd Dills comments: "Channeling Poe, maybe Lovecraft, Kirby spins a tale in which lettuces hold the keys to human lies."

Here's an extract: "The mediums took you away from me, and into a world that I did not know; could not know. That's why you'd always find me hanging around just outside the doors. That's why I didn't 'just go out, then' if I 'hated it so much.'"

And if you're wondering who has the copyright on those wonderful, sweet garden peas, that'd be AJ Kirby's grandpa...

Read the story, and comment:

http://www.the2ndhand.com/web69/allotment.html

The 2nd Hand

THE2NDHAND is a free broadsheet published quarterly and featuring the work of one writer per issue. Our online magazine updates weekly with new writing from younger working writers, and our total circulation is 2500. We're distributed widely in Chicago and Birmingham, AL, and in select spots in New York City, Philadelphia, Portland OR, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco,...

Tags: ajkirbythewriter, allotment, growing stuff, the 2nd hand

AJ Kirby has a new feature published on the 'Itchy Leeds' website: http://www.itchyleeds.co.uk/article.cfm?id=5632&cityid=8&section=177.

Go there. Soak up the pain of a Sunday morning hangover... and then get some suggestions of where to go in order to cure yourself of those Sunday blues when THE DREAD sets in.

Tags: andykirbythewriter, itchy leeds, sundays

AJ Kirby's entry, 'Within the Belly of the Beast' has been selected as the winner of a nationwide competition to write Chapter 3 of The Green Story. Many thanks to all of you that voted in this 'Pop Idol' style competition.

The Green Story is a creative writing competition, where each month you can read the previous chapters and then write what you think the next chapter should be by submitting your own entry, or read and then vote on the latest entries. The competition will run for 10 months to create a book with 10 chapters and then be published as 'The Green Story' book at the end of the year.

You can read Andy's Chapter 3 by following this link: http://www.thegreenstory.co.uk/astory.asp

Tags: aj kirby, andykirbythewriter, belly of the beast, the green story

One of the best aspects of entering creative writing competitions is the critique of a writers' work which some of them offer. Being a writer, it is often difficult to analyse your own work properly and the opinion of a respected judge can open your eyes to new ways of seeing your writing.

That is certainly the case with my recent short-listed competition entry, 'Too Many Cooks'. Along with my short-listing, I was also provided with a detailed summary of the good, the bad and the ugly in that particular work and on my style of writing.

Here's what the judge said:

 "This is a fine story, written in what might be called 'the grand manner'. As opposed to certain modern writers whose sentences are clipped and snappy, this author often conveys his meaning in lengthy, convoluted sentences. But they flow, and they work."

(I'd never thought about that before, but when I now look over the portfolio of my work, I do see that in many cases, I am a writer that loves to elaborate, to luxuriate in word-play and... I'm doing it again, aren't I? Passing and passing and passing but never shooting. I'm like the writing equivalent of...

Tags: aj kirby, an ink competition, andykirbythewriter, too many cooks

AJ Kirby's rip-roaring start to 2008 in terms of publication looks set to continue, with the news that the horror story, 'The Sugar Footprint' has been accepted by US magazine, Necrology.

Although we still await details of the actual date of publication and the issue in which the tale will feature, the acceptance marks another milestone in Andy's development as a writer.

'The Sugar Footprint' - what's it about?

You'll have heard all the recent talk about the 'Carbon footprint' we leave behind... but what about the sugar footprint? This new tale examines the by-products of having a sweet-tooth, and the horrific conseqeunces of a life lived not caring about the consequence.

Necrology 

To find out more about Necrology Magazine or to purchase the current issue, please visit their website at: www.necrologymag.com

Tags: aj kirby, andykirbythewriter, necrology mag, the sugar footprint

Art and writing fans are cordially invited to visit an exhibition which celebrates Yorkshire and the town of Huddersfield in particular. There will be a selection of Amanda Crowther's photography (which inspired the entries for this year's Huddersfield Literature Festival creative writing competition) as well as copies of the winning entries on display.

The exhibition, which runs until 30th May 2008, will be held at The Media Lounge, The Media Centre, Northumberland Street, Huddersfield, HD1 1RL. It's YOUR opportunity to see AJ Kirby's story, 'The One Wish Foundation' in print, along with the photo of the dashing young man that inspired the work.

For more information, contact AJ Kirby direct, using the contact details as listed on this website.

Tags: aj kirby, beast market, one wish foundation

... to vote for his Chapter to be placed in the Green Story. His Chapter, 'Inside the Belly of the Beast' is available to view online, on thegreenstory.co.uk website. That's also where you can place your votes, so go ahead, follow the link, and make me a Pop Idol... I mean Writing Idol. It's also a great way for all of you environmentalists to do your bit for the environment.

Simply go here: http://www.thegreenstory.co.uk/aread.asp and place your vote.

Taken from thegreenstory.co.uk website: The Green Story is a creative writing competition, where each month you can read the previous chapters and then write what you think the next chapter should be by submitting your own entry, or read and then vote on the latest entries.

So whether you see yourself as a reader or writer, you can take part in creating and shaping the Green Story. Just remember it's your story, you decide how it goes!

There are adult, teen and children's versions of the story and each story must have a 'green' theme which encourages all readers, young and old, to think about how we can best look after the environment.

The competition will run for 10 months to create a...

Tags: andykirbythewriter, belly of the beast, environment, pop idol, thegreenstory

...you have articles published which contain diatribes about the weathermen from the local news programmes. And that is certainly the case in A.J Kirby's most recently published work, 'A sniff back in time', which has top billing on the Itchy Leeds website. Weatherman Paul Hudson gets it in the neck, with A.J Kirby lashing out wildly (in writing) about his "slippery lies." The wacky tie-wearing front-man should certainly thank his lucky stars that the article is obstensibly about the history of Leeds and not all about him...

'A sniff back in time' is a look back at some of the historic buildings of Leeds through the looking glass of their smells. A smellyvisual tour if you will. It features reports on Kirkstall Abbey, Thackray Medical Museum, The Angel public house and the BBC building. Also, in true Paul Calf style, it riffs on students stinking up the place, for some reason overlooking the fact that A.J Kirby was once counted amongst their number himself.

Anyway, if you still want to read the article, you'll find it here:

http://www.itchyleeds.co.uk/article.cfm?id=5538&cityid=8&section=177

Tags: aj kirby, andykirbythewriter, itchy, leeds, paul hudson, smelly, stink

Andy Kirby's story, 'One Wish Foundation', which was runner-up in the prestigious Huddersfield Literature Festival Creative Writing competition, is now available to read online. For free.

Yes, that's right, fans of freebies, you'll be able to read more of Andy's work on the interweb simply by clicking on this link: http://www.litfest.org.uk/. Once you're on the Huddersfield Literature Festival home page, scroll down to the Runners' Up section. There, you'll see a quick quote from Andy and then the copy of the story in PDF.

Enjoy!

Tags: aj kirby, andykirbythewriter, huddersfield literature festival, one wish foundation

A.J Kirby's surrealist short story, 'Think Tank' has been published online by Sein und Werden. To read the story, simply follow this link: http://www.kissthewitch.co.uk/seinundwerden/2_4/page24.html

Sein und Werden is a literary magazine of experimental prose, poetry and artwork that seeks to merge and modernise the ideas behind Expressionism, Surrealism and Existentialism, and 'Think Tank' certainly fulfils these criteria. It is a story laden with mythic hyperbole and grandiosity, an exercise in piss-taking which makes one think that perhaps the author himself has had to sit through similar meetings to the one described in the action. And any story which features Diego Maradona has got to be worth a look, right?

Read. Enjoy. Think. 

Tags: aj kirby, ajkirbythewriter, andykirbythewriter, sein und werden, think, think tank