Transmission #11 Out Now

May 30, 2008 – 8:56 am

T11 CoverThis Transmission blog post follows lipogrammatic limitation thought up by Parisian writing group Oulipo (not using ‘E’ in any words).

Transmission #11 stars Dan, author of a post-War noir story with child gangs, a Russian spy, a fat British army man and a US GI all fighting to stay warm in particularly cold conditions. It’s a book chock-full of plots and sub-plots, and Dan talks to us about its formation and his inspirations for his writing.

This is hand in hand with a chat with Catalan’s top short fictionist, who must stay anonymous in this post as lipogrammatic limitation will not allow naming. This lady is promoting an introductory story anthology for British patrons, a publication by Mancunians Comma.

Chris, author of forthcoming Bird Room, is on hand to divvy up his thoughts on producing his first book for publication, translation as an art form is up for discussion and Transmission #11 contains top short fiction, an array of writings about Paris, Romania, Spain, Strasbourg and Italy (among many additional locations).

Click this link for additional information including all alpha-symbols.

To pick up your own copy go to the Transmission Shop.

By Graham | Posted in Latest Updates | Comments (0)

Review: Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link

May 27, 2008 – 8:56 am

kelly-link.jpgReview by Jen Glyn

Kelly Link has been getting rave reviews for years. The fact that she isn’t better known is probably the result of the British publishing industry’s squeamishness regarding short stories and science fiction (however literary or, in Link’s case, intelligent it is). Last year’s Nebula Awards (for science fiction writers) were a Link love-in, with her stories ‘The Faery’s Handbag’ and ‘Magic for Beginners’ appearing in the anthology. After the reading them I experienced something like an instant conversion. I ordered Magic For Beginners online and sat by my front door dribbling and drumming my fingers on the doormat until it arrived. Link writes like a dream, a real dream. Think of your very best dreams, the dreams with an odd, yet convincing, logic, and characters who resemble your friends and family, only ever so slightly … wrong. Link’s blend of fantasy and umheimlich means she is frequently compared to Borges. For me it’s as if Joy Williams hooked up with Steven King sometime, perhaps after dinner, LSD and the DVD of Mulholland Drive, and the end result was a big-eyed baby Kelly Link getting dumped on Angela Carter’s doorstep.

Link blows other genres out of the water. Magical realism? Compared to Link the whole genre seems as lifeless and hackneyed as a pop up book. Likewise science fiction. She’s their darling at the moment but I suspect they are already mumbling that she’s making the other guys look bad. She can make you terrified of stone rabbits and persuade you that there are far stranger things than zombies visiting your 24-hour garage.

If you are concerned that this collection might be a little heavy on whimsy for the average reader (and we all know there is nothing more irritating than listening to someone else’s dreams), you would do well not to worry. Link’s plots are tight and Magic For Beginners is a collection that marks her out as a master of the short story form – Poe perhaps, putting the moves on Lovecraft in a Diner populated by the dead. Buy Magic for Beginners and, if you must, conjecture about Kelly Link’s parentage. But really, buy Magic for Beginners.

Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link (HarperPerennial, £7.99) is out now

By Guest | Posted in Reviews | Comments (4)

News: The Bumper Edition

April 16, 2008 – 2:49 pm

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.

By Graham | Posted in Events, Latest Updates, Literature News | Comments (0)

New submissions: Festival

March 11, 2008 – 8:00 am

Transmission #12 is on the horizon and we’re in a celebratory mood once again. While we unpack the streamers and prepare the party poppers, we are also accepting submissions on the theme of FESTIVAL for our September issue.

We’re looking for fresh representation of the festival in literature – anything from the religious to Glastonbury.

Think about the throbbing sweatiness of the carnival in Hunter S Thompson’s The Rum Diary or Angela Carter’s raunchy circus world. What about Hemingway’s graphic depiction of the running of the bull at Pamplona, or even Chaucer’s bawdy religious pilgrimage to Canterbury? Most of all think about what moves you about the communion of the festival experience; the heaving excitement, the celebratory excess, the tastes, sounds and smells. We’re all certified shut-ins at Transmission HQ, so take us to where the action is…

The deadline for Issue#12 submissions is: Monday 30th June 2008 and full submission guidelines can be found here.

By Jo | Posted in Latest Updates, Submissions | Comments (0)

Europe deadline: 10th March

March 3, 2008 – 11:13 am

A quick submissions update for you and a reminder that you now only have one week left to submit for Transmission#11.

We’re very excited about this issue, it’s our literary Grand Tour! The theme is Europe and we’re looking for the best continental inspired short stories from you for publication in May 2008.

We can’t afford to go on a summer holiday this year, so we’re putting it to you to take us there! We want to luxuriate in the culture of Europe, stories that capture the essence of a place: the people, the food, the smells.

We are also looking for illustrators, who can turn their hand to a European style.

The deadline is Monday 10th March & complete submissions info is available at here.

By Jo | Posted in Latest Updates, Submissions | Comments (0)

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