Out now: Degrees of Exposure

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Here it is – my second collection of short stories, newly published and just waiting for an audience!

A young man is seduced by a knitting sorceress. A couple weekending in Copenhagen bond through an unexpected donation of wedding cake. An old ex-mercenary, cut off by floodwaters, finds himself transformed into James Bond. Two worlds collide in an out-of-town retail park as a middle-aged woman helps two asylum seekers in their quest for a better life…

In this new collection of thirty-three contemporary short stories, readers are invited to dip into different worlds, walking hand-in-hand with an eclectic and colourful range of characters as they deal with love, hope, joy, disappointment, and loss. All the featured stories have either won prizes or been short- or long-listed in international creative writing competitions. Feedback includes:

‘Moving and Inspirational’ – Writers Forum ((That) Hollow Place)

‘Wonderfully imaginative’ – Yeovil Literary Prize (Seesaw of Isolation)

‘Someone with a magical way with writing’ – Writing Magazine (Stitched Up)

‘Beautifully paced’ – Dahlia Press (Nighthawks)

Degrees of Exposure is available from Amazon or FeedaRead in paperback or ebook format. Reviews and recommendations are always appreciated.

Recent successes

~ Dianne ~ 2 Comments

In the past few weeks, I’ve been delighted and amazed to have been awarded first place in both the Henshaw Press quarterly short story competition and the NAWG (National Association of Writers Groups) annual short story competition. And to have a previously shortlisted story included in the new Henshaw Four short story anthology.

It’s a great feeling and I’m hugely grateful to all the competition organisers and judges who make this possible. The encouragement is beyond value.

All Human Wisdom

~ Dianne ~ 4 Comments

Great news recently. My story All Human Wisdom was awarded first prize in the Hastings Writers’ Room competition, addressing the theme of Missing.

The judges commented:

“The benign setting, contrasting a rural domestic idyll with an unexplained and unexpected disappearance, provides a layered and sustained tension right up to the final line, building a profound and tortuous sense of loss, hope, and longing for resolution that continues far beyond the story.”

Wonderful comment. And a lovely trophy to commemorate my win!

First time in Yours Fiction

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Yours Fiction – popular, mass-market – and now featuring one of my stories! It underlines how important it is to keep testing new markets. I never thought this magazine was a good fit for my work, but a snappy acceptance for this piece proved me wrong. They’ve made a few editorial changes (including the title) but they are only minor and I’m fine with that. Nice to get the exposure…

Living La Vida Loca

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Funny Pearls is a fabulous satirical journal dedicated to showcasing humour by women. It’s based in London, but has a global readership. I’ve long enjoyed reading it and recently, it has very kindly published two of my pieces: Living La Vida Loca and An Exercise in Rebranding.

Humour by women? When asked why the journal was established, one of the editors, Mette Jolly commented:

We felt women were poorly represented in the humour genre. I would like to stress that we have no empirical basis for making this claim, it was a feeling, rather than a scientifically established fact. But many female writers have since told us they never thought they could be funny or that they had been told specifically that women aren’t funny. The latter is obviously nonsense.

Another widespread misconception is that only women enjoy humour by women. That’s nonsense too as our male readership would testify.

However, the magazine is not intended to be only for women. It has a broad readership and is not marketed  at a primarily female readership. Everybody needs a laugh! Go on, treat yourself – take a look… 🤣

1st in Writers’ Forum Fiction

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My rather strange story (That) Hollow Place astounded me by taking first prize in the fiction competition in this month’s Writers’ Forum magazine (December issue). It was its first outing and I wasn’t sure whether it worked or not.

I’m delighted that it hit the spot and was judged:
‘A moving and inspirational story with a strong plot and satisfying resolution.’

A First in Exeter Literary Festival Competition

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This year, many Literary Festivals have had to cancel events or go online. The Exeter Literary Festival – a relatively newly- established event but a great addition to Exeter’s increasingly vibrant literary scene – was one.
BUT – they kept the competition going, and I am delighted to have won first prize having achieved second place in last year’s competition.

Competition Results – 2020:

As ever, the real prize should go to the organizers, readers and judges. It’s a huge amount of work with not nearly enough recognition or reward.
Fingers crossed for the return of the Festival proper (and the competition) in 2021.

In the Kitchen – a remarkable new anthology

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This collection is a surprising platter of delightful and peculiar short stories by new and established writers that allow you to lose yourself in their magic.

“In the Kitchen is an anthology which showcases the best of food-inspired writing, with each beguiling story interpreting the theme in a different way. Food, in the hands of these writers, becomes a route into our memories, into magic, rebellion, grief and joy.” CG Menon

FEATURED AUTHORS:

Talim Arab, Rachel Beresford-Davies, Dianne Bown-Wilson, Mona Dash, Sarah Evans, Vanessa Jarrett, Emily Monaco, Thomas Morgan, Angela Readman, Madeehah Reza, Reshma Ruia, JP Sanders, Nasia Sarwar-Skuse, Janet H. Swinney, Vanessa Timothy, Jane Wagar, Julia Wood, Alison Woodhouse, Rabi’atu T. Yakubu, Karen Yu.

Available now from the publishers, Dahlia Press

September Success

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Encouraging, as ever, to have a story recognised. It’s unbelievably motivating. And, in this case, it was great to have it in the first issue of Writers Forum magazine to appear after several months when it ceased publication during lockdown.