#AuthorInsights RSS

Parthian have always caught my eye. With their striking covers and their mesmerising stories, they found their way into my life. I had the chance to witness the behind-the-scenes work of the publishing industry. The Open University who helped me to set this placement up have also been essential to being accepted in this way. I am used to working remotely due to the nature of my study, working to deadlines, and communicating openly. This opportunity came as a massive sign to me that my writing was valid. It has been a marvellous experience for me to understand my weaknesses...

Alys Morgan interviewed by Billie Ingram-Sofokleous.   Do not ‘abandon hope all ye who enter here.’   Ward Nine: Coronavirus, a heartfelt and informative journal of thoughts and feelings, is an absolute must read. In a minefield of overworked and underpaid nurses, overwhelmed cleaners, and a myriad of vacancies that need to be filled, when Alys Morgan was hospitalised with Covid she was nevertheless surrounded by kindness amongst the complaints, worries and unspoken truths. Her account of the wards is of a chaotic, yet safe space harnessed through the contemptible ailments of this disease. She recounts her daily journey into...

After a short break we are returning with another #authorinsight from 2021 Rhys Davies Short Story Award author, Craig Hawes, who was shortlisted for his story, 'Coat of Arms'. Born and raised in Briton Ferry, Craig spent many years working in London and Dubai as a journalist before returning to his native South Wales. Now a copywriter, he has previously been shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story prize in 2009 and was a runner-up in the Rhys Davies Prize 2010. His short story collection The Witch Doctor of Umm Suqeim was published by Parthian in 2013. His stories and plays...

For our daily #authorinsight, we were joined by Brennig Davies who discussed his short story, ‘Dogs in a Storm’, shortlisted for the 2021 Rhys Davies Short Story Award!  Brennig is a writer from the Vale of Glamorgan, who recently completed a BA in English at Mansfield College. In the past his work has been published in magazines and anthologies, and he has previously won the inaugural BBC Young Writers Award (2015), as well as the Crown at the Urdd National Eisteddfod (2019). In Brennig’s shortlisted entry, Dogs in a Storm, a mother is desperately hoping for change, verging on transformation as she realises...

Up next for our Rhys Davies Short Story Award #authorinsights, we present an interview with author Jupiter Jones, who was shortlisted for her short story, ‘Bird’. Jupiter grew up on the north-west coasts of Cumberland and Lancashire, the former a wild and secretive landscape, whilst the latter trashy and jaded. She loved both of these locations; they inspire and haunt her writing. Having completed a PhD in Spectatorial Embarrassment at Goldsmiths, Jupiter now lives in Wales writing short stories and flash fiction which has led her to win the Colm Tóibín International Prize. In Jupiter’s shortlisted entry, ‘Bird’, two strangers meet within the...