Celebrate Short Fiction Day
December 22, 2014 — 22:15

Author: Dorothy Johnston  Category: Anthologies fiction writing short stories  Comments: 6

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“The winter solstice marks both the start of winter and the shortest day of the year. So why not take advantage of the long winter night to curl up with a good short story?” ~ Nancy Christie, founder of Celebrate Short Fiction Day.

I’ve only just discovered Celebrate Short Fiction Day – a little late, since the solstice has just passed – and on the wrong side of the world, of course, for the shortest day! But why not make the summer solstice an occasion for celebrating short stories too?

I love short stories, and refuse to see them as the poor relative of the novel. So why not mark this solstice, or look forward to the next one, by curling up on a beach with a good collection, or share a much-loved story with a friend?

My two favourite story collections for 2014 are Australian Love Stories published by Inkerman & Blunt, and The Trouble With Flying, published by Margaret River Press. I’d also like to mention two wonderful bloggers who value short stories, Whispering Gums, who reviewed both these collections, and Charles May, whose Reading The Short Story is both an education and delight.

Thanks to Pixel Hall Press for drawing my attention to this wonderful opportunity for celebrating short fiction.

Pixel Hall Press is certainly doing its bit to keep the form alive, as shown in this quote from their website:

‘When we established our PHP Shorts imprint, we predicted, “The market for short stories and novellas is about to experience a renaissance, spurred in part by the proliferation of smartphones, eReaders and tablets. The length of a story is becoming irrelevant. All that matters is that it’s a great story that captures the readers’ interest and imagination.” Whether readers choose to enjoy it on an e-reader or prefer the tactile pleasure of turning the pages, the result is the same: a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction from reading a complete, beautifully crafted story in one sitting.’

Let’s hope that, by the next solstice, we’ll have a Celebrate Short Fiction Day in the southern as well as the northern hemisphere!

Comments:
  • Thank you for your post on Celebrate Short Fiction Day. We at Pixel Hall Press will look forward to working with you next year to make this a northern/southern hemisphere festivity. Best, Cynthia

    December 22, 2014 — 23:57
  • Thanks Dorothy for the link. I agree that those two collections are wonderful. I love that Margaret River Press seems to have made such a commitment to the form.

    What a cute idea to make the Winter Solstice Short Fiction Day! I subscribe to Reading the Short Story but don’t always keep up with the blog. I agree it’s a good one, though.

    December 23, 2014 — 0:43
  • Yes, Cynthia, let’s go for it! I’d be pleased to see Australian short stories finding more readers in the US and UK – of course you do have some wonderful writers, and annual anthologies, but I sometimes feel it’s hard for us to get a look-in.

    December 23, 2014 — 1:10
  • Thanks for your comment, Whispering Gums. I’m always ready to mention your fine blog, and I agree about Margaret River Press. Do you think we should go for the winter solstice as a day for celebration down here, or co-ordinate with our northern hemisphere friends?

    December 23, 2014 — 1:15
  • Sounds like a great idea Dorothy, and Pixel Press looks interesting too. I’ll be interested to know your favourites in Aus Love Stories. I’ve just got from the library a novella and some short stories by Ismail Kadare that I’m looking forward to over Xmas .

    December 23, 2014 — 21:32
  • Thanks for your comment, Joan. Mmmn, favourites – I’ll have to think about that.
    I don’t know Ismail Kadare’s work – I’ll be interested to hear what you think. I’m reading William Trevor’s ‘Selected Stories’ at the moment.

    December 23, 2014 — 22:38
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