All has been quiet on the Transmission front as we have been beavering away on the upcoming Europe issue. All is going well, and we have some excellent stories to share with you - so put the 30th May 2008 in your diaries/electronic personal organisers. We also have exclusive interviews with two debut European writers, Dan Vyleta (his excellent novel, Pavel & I, is out now from Bloomsbury) and Empar Molina (her debut English-language collection, I Love You When I’m Drunk, is out in June from Comma).
Enough Transmission drum-beating. What literary events can satisfy your hunger in the meantime?
Augusten Burroughs, celebrated author of the memoir Running with Scissors, is visiting Manchester on the 24th May. He is reading/answering questions at Contact Theatre at 4:30pm in an event brought to you by Manchester Metropolitan University’s English Research Institute and the Queer Up North Festival. MMU students get a 20% discount on the £7 ticket price. Click here for more info and booking information.
A while ago we mentioned that we had been to see a Martin Amis lecture in Manchester, featuring input from Will Self and John Banville. Well, for all those who missed out, and wanted to hear what they had to say about the role of the writer in the 21st Century, you can obtain an audio file here.
I know we’re a short story magazine, but it would be remiss not to notify you of The Manchester International Poetry Prize. Run by the MMU Writing School, the Prize offers the chance for poets (from anywhere) to win £10,000. In the tradition of this post, click the word “here” for more information: here.
Previous Transmission interviewee Rose Tremain (Issue #10 available here) has been shortlisted for The Orange Prize for Fiction 2008 for her novel The Road Home. Lily Allen, the controversial choice for this year’s judging panel has pulled out unsurprisingly. All things Orange can be found here.
We should also reiterate that we are accepting submissions from reviewers for this blog. We want to hear what you have to say about literature - not just new books, but books that have changed your life, or that are particularly close to your heart. Most of all we want to share titles that have somehow fallen out of the public eye, rescue them from undeserved obscurity. if you think your up for the job, go here to find out how to submit.
Despite the fact that we’re giving you less than 12 hours notice of this event, it should be noted that this is one not to be missed.
I don’t know if this news item is hot of the press, or if it has been out there for quite some time. But we’ve just heard it and it has sent us into a flurry of excitement: