NFFD Bulletin – 7/06/2012

Not a full bulletin for you today, but just bringing you up to date with what's happening and some events you might be interested in.

• First of all, just a reminder that Jawbreakers is still for sale, both in paperback (via the website at http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/anthology.html) and for Kindle at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jawbreakers-ebook/dp/B0083BRYKW/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A3TVV12T0I6NSM&qid=1337333761&sr=1-1) and another plea that, if you downloaded it or any other of the other e-books which were free on 16th May, it would really help the writers if you could go along to the Amazon pages for each, click the 'like' button up at the top of the pages, and maybe leave a review . And reviews on your own blogs would be really helpful too, thank you!

• If you don't want to bother with that pesky online ordering stuff, and would like to meet some of the authors, there will be a launch event for Jawbreakers tomorrow at Blackwells Bookshop in Manchester (in the university precinct on Oxford Road) from 6.30pm. This will also be a launch for Valerie O'Riordan's new pamphlet, Enough (http://gumbopress.co.uk/books.html) and my own new pamphlet, Braking Distance (http://www.saltpublishing.com/pamphlets/smv/9781844719129.htm). Details of the event can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/429476600404131/). Please do come along, it'll be a wonderful evening.

• We are also currently planning to hold a launch in Bristol later in the year, with possibly a London one to follow. But if you have a friendly bookshop or other venue near you which would be ideal for a launch, do please get in touch and we'll organise something.

• NFFD has snuck it's way into the Worcestershire Literary Festival this year and I have been judging a competition for them. The winners will be announced and I will be talking, reading and selling/signing books there, and it would be great to see you if you can make it. Details here: http://www.worcslitfest.com/flash-fiction-event-23-june-2012/

• AND, as if that wasn't enough, I shall also be reading and talking NFFD at the Summer Wordfest held by the Vale Royal Writers Group and Dead Good Poets Society of Liverpool. It's held at the Blue Cap pub in Sandiway on Tuesday 26th June. (http://vrwg.co.uk/how-to-find-us/).

• If you'd rather write than listen, don't forget we still have open competitions listed on our site at http://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/competitions.html. And, we are now putting together some hasty plans for a way to help celebrate New Zealand's NFFD which is being held on 22nd June (the shortest day in the Southern Hemisphere). We have an idea brewing, but if you think of something that would be ideal, please send over your idea.

• And it doesn't end there. This is a busy summer for the short story with International Short Story Day occurring on 20th June (http://www.internationalshortstoryday.org/). A number of events will be happening, including the collaborative creation of short stories, against the clock and team against team.(http://shortstorydayafrica.org/) I'm exteremely happy to be part of the UK team along with 5 other wonderful writers including NFFD writer Sarah Hilary (aka Sarah Frost Mellor) and Stella Duffy. So, do keep your eyes on that one.

And, I think, for now, that's about it. I'll keep you up to date as best I can over the coming weeks and months, and there will be updates to the website and blog posts and all the usual stuff. So, have a great summer, and keep flashing!

All the best