Hispabooks

I am constantly impressed by the books Hispabooks Publishing releases. Last year I posted about three of their books which made it to my 2016 Favorite Reads list. This year, I have already read several that I recommend. Antón Mallick Wants to be Happy, Martutene, Landing, and The Birthday Buyer stand out as favorites this year. Hispabooks has been publishing out of Madrid since 2011. They publish only writers based in Spain and have quite a collection of worthwhile titles. 

My Hispabooks collection so far. Still a few in the catalog I need to buy.

My Hispabooks collection so far. Still a few in the catalog I need to buy.

The Reader Berlin

I just had to write a bit about The Reader Berlin headed up by Victoria Gosling. I have taken a class from them, participated in their first ever writing retreat in Greece, and have been lucky enough to be mentioned by them for Eye to Eye which was recently published by The Ravens Perch. Victoria does great work and I am sure is not fairly compensated. She has a writing competition which ends July 31 with the theme of Home Is Elsewhere. How about writing and submitting? See you at the awards ceremony.

Eye to Eye

Appearing online at theravensperch.com is my third published story, "Eye to Eye." I am so pleased that the team at The Ravens Perch appreciated my story enough to publish it. Please log on to their website and read my story as well as the many other stories they have on offer.

Home

Home by Leila S. Chudori, from Indonesia, and translated by John H. McGlynn, is my monthly favourite read. It is published by Deep Vellum Press, which is how I became aware of it. Chudori deals with love, identity, and the concept of home. Home is represented by where the characters live for different reasons, as well as where they wish to live, both in their current lives and when they die. The novel is a great mix of politics, personal relationships, and the search for a space to be oneself in today's world. A bit simple in some sections, but overall a tremendous read.

Writing Cave

I finished up my writing retreat last week. It was an incredible experience, with tons of inspiration, new writing prompts, and lots of new story ideas and conclusions. Below is a picture of my apartment throughout the week. It looks a bit cave-like but was actually a wonderful place to spend hours writing on my own each day. The Reader Berlin hosted the event and I am very thankful to Victoria, Callie, and Dimitra who organised and led the workshops.

My Name is Daniel

My second story was just published by Fredericksburg Literary and Art Review. The story is called "My Name is Daniel" and it explores the inner thinkings of a homeless man riding a Berlin train. I am very honoured to have it appear in the Spring/Summer 2017 issue. It can be read online and a print copy can also be purchased.

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"And we drank."

There is a lot of drinking in a Jerzy Pilch story. In fact, you might say that was the main plot if not for the colourful characters and all their ambitious plans. I have enjoyed the three books of his that I have read and look forward to acquiring and reading "His Current Woman." "The Mighty Angel" (my favorite) translated by Bill Johnston, "A Thousand Peaceful Cities" translated by David Frick, and "My First Suicide" also translated by David Frick are available from Open Letter. A great Polish writer with lots to say on addiction in all its forms.

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Camino De Santiago

In April, my wife and I joined friends in Pamplona, Spain to walk a section of the Camino de Santiago, from Pamplona to Burgos.

We had warm, blue sky days with great walking, food, and drink. We were in Spain over 10 years ago and it was wonderful to return. Our friends carried on to the end but we had to head home after Burgos, where we had a fantastic lunch. Perhaps we will return to finish the walk.