Performing at Swindon Festival of Literature

Ticking something off the Swindon bucket list, I can now say I’ve experienced the delight of reading/performing my fiction to a live audience at the Swindon Festival of Literature.

A piece of self-penned fiction, my story had the added “challenge” of needing to be performed in three minutes and in a way that kept the audience begging for more. I loved every second of it.

No performer is worth half of their talent without their trusty roadies. Ben did a brilliant job at suggesting revisions to my piece during the drafting stage, watching my performance in living room rehearsals and, most importantly, pumping me full of sugar and positivity on the night itself. (He’s also a dab hand at a camera.)

Thank you to the organisers of this event for helping to promote fresh voices and giving authors the platform to engage with new audiences.

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Alice E. Bennett Wins Flash Fiction Competition at Bournemouth Writing Festival

I am thrilled to announce that flash fiction submission, “How the Dressmaker of Bournemouth Feeds her Family” has been shortlisted for publication in Bournemouth Writing Festival’s debut anthology.

Judge and Bournemouth academic, Charlotte Grace Fodor, said of the piece:

“How the Dressmaker of Bournemouth Feeds her Family” is a well-crafted, thought-provoking story with good attention to detail and is glittered with humour. I particularly enjoyed how the ending of the story adds depth and layers to the narrative, prompting the reader to reflect on themes of self-expression, transformation, and authenticity. The question posed by the shopkeeper…invites the reader to consider the choices we make in presenting ourselves to the world.

This question can be interpreted in various ways, encouraging introspection about personal growth and self-discovery.

Needless to say, I am completely over the moon by this news. Given the hundreds of submissions into this competition, I was more than flattered to have made the longlist, let alone the top 20. That in mind, I want to congratulate all of my fellow longlistees and thank all those involved in running this competition.

I’ll be joining my fellow winners for a special awards ceremony taking place as part of the festival later in April. Watch this space for updates!

Lines in the Sand will be published by Dithering Chaps on 26th April 2024. It is available for pre-order from Amazon, with physical copies available during the festival and from the publisher direct.

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