In Issue 79…

Editor
Debbie Taylor

Plus

Jackie Kay • Ruby Tandoh • Nancy Revell • Meena Kandasamy • A M Home

Agenda

• Self-publishing takes off: Orna Ross on how independent authors are on the rise

 Forum

• What you’re saying about… competitions, free PDFs and your own achievements
• What happened when you wrote a description of yourself
• For the love of it: nature writing with Jacqueline Bain
• Blogwatch
• Noticeboard
• Writing in the world: printing a community newspaper with Esther Beadle

Showcase

• Rosie Garland introduces stories and poems on the theme of ‘cooking’

Craft

• Creativity news
• Writing exercises
• What works for A M Homes
• Poetry challenge: Golden Shovel, selected by Linda France
• Hard truths: Helen Corner-Bryant on how to give and receive feedback
• Nancy Revell’s Achilles’ heel
• Flash genre: Alison Jacobs
• First page surgery with Kitty Walker

Interview

• Meena Kandasamy talks to Debbie Taylor

Off the page

• Script news
• Play list with Chinonyerem Odimba
• Plan your set with Malika Booker
• Listen up with Helen Mort
• Bedtime story: ‘Mrs O’Bogarty is a witch’
• Moving words with Claire Trévien
• Sister acts with Kirsten Luckins
• Monologue: ‘Boke’ by Jackie Kay

Career

• Publishing news
• Crystal ball
• Brick by brick: Katy Guest builds a portfolio career
• Pitch surgery with Kate Nash
• Pitch calendar
• Self-help book test drive with Meg Clothier
• Balancing the books: Imogen Usherwood asks why so few women writers are included in the school curriculum

Doors open

• Insight: pitch prospects
• Insight: script submissions to Ink Festival 2019
• Open for submissions
• Three of a kind: themed writing
• Open for entries: competitions and awards
• Insight: literary agent Thérèse Coen’s manuscript wishlist
• Insight: The Liminal Residency
• Insight: The Mogford Food & Drink Short Story Prize
• Time away: writing holidays

Out now

• Début author interview: Rachel Edwards
• Poet laureate by R D Gardner
• Six best second novels
• Poetry news
• Poetry review by Jade Cuttle
• Non-fiction: going solo with Caroline Sanderson
• K is for…
• Fiction issues: writing horror by Dawn Geddes
• Short story news
• Short story review by Alice Slater
• Short story heroes: A M Homes
• Books about writing; I confess

Don’t miss

• Events and courses

And finally

• Ruby Tandoh’s bedtime reading
• What we’re up to
• Submitting and subscribing to Mslexia