Tag Archives: writers abroad

Kaleidoscope Anthology Published

12 Oct


Writers Abroad has just published their latest anthology, Kaleidoscope, to mark the International Year of Light. It features my fun little piece of flash fiction, ‘Lux Italiana‘ (Italian Light), and while I’m not going to pretend that half a page from me is worth the £5.99 cover price, there is also lots of other good fiction, non-fiction and poetry from various ex-pat and ex-ex-pat writers, and all profits go to the charity Room to Read, which promotes literacy in the developing world.

Kaleidoscope is available on Amazon and Lulu, and as today (12th October) is the launch day, there is also a Facebook event from 10am to 6pm with regular competitions and prizes, so pop over and have a look. And then buy the book, of course – if not for yourself, then as a (whisper it) Christmas present for any ex-pats or ex-ex-pats who are on your nice list.

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Counting My Blessings

14 Feb
Christian Aid's "Count Your Blessings" programme

Christian Aid’s “Count Your Blessings” programme

I don’t remember Lent ever starting before Valentine’s Day before, although I suppose it must have happened. It’s not a very good arrangement, since I have lots of lovely choccies and a nagging feeling that I’m not supposed to eat them. I will quash that feeling, however, since I haven’t given up chocolate for Lent and a woman whose husband books a boys’ holiday over Valentine’s Day deserves all the chocolates she can get!

This Lent I will neither be giving up something  nor taking up something. Instead, I’m going to follow the Christian Aid “Count Your Blessings” programme. At least, I am when I get the leaflet back. I blithely left it at work for other people to see, since Christian Aid’s website assured me that an app was available. It is, but it won’t download onto my phone so it’s back to the paper version.

“Count Your Blessings” give you little daily facts about the developing world or conflicts and asks for tiny pledges of money every day or two. For example: “At the end of 2011, an estimated 42.5 million people were living in a place to which they had been forcibly displaced due to conflict or persecution. Give 10p for every year you have lived in your current home.” While we’re struggling with a horrible recession it’s easy to forget just how much worse off so many people in the world are. Although I said I’m not giving anything up, I am saying “no” to the occasional treat to balance out the pledges from “Count Your Blessings”, which again makes me aware of just how good life is for me.

Back to Valentine’s Day, and the e-book of Foreign Encounters from Writers Abroad is now available. This is a collection of stories about relationships, written by ex-pats or ex-ex-pats (like me), and profits go to a charity that provides books to schools in the developing world. This also requires a tiny pledge of money: £1.90 on Amazon, or $2.99 on Smashwords. Look out for my atmospheric little piece, “Sounion”.

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Foreign Encounters Released

25 Oct

Foreign EncountersThe Writers Abroad anthology Foreign Encounters has been released. I have a short piece in it called “Sounion”, which is rather good and atmospheric if I say so myself.

Foreign Encounters is available from Lulu as a paperback for £7.44 ($9.99, hence the strange UK price), and profits go the the charity Books Abroad which provides school books to poor countries.

The anthology will probably come out as an ebook at some point, too, if you prefer your books that way.

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