Flamel Anniversary

Today, at 1700 (round about now, in fact), is the 630th anniversary of Nicholas Flamel's second successful transmutation. Raise a glass of the elixir in his direction.

Wigtown: Photographic Evidence

Here be a photo of myself at the Wigtown Poetry Prize ceremony, October 2011. Seated beside me is Gaelic winner, Meg Bateman. Behind us the judges (L-R) Angus Peter Campbell (Gaelic judge), Rab Wilson (Scots judge) and Brian Johnstone (Main Competition judge). Photo by Ed Flannighan.

Thresholds Feature Writing Competition

The Shortlist for the Thresholds Feature Writing Competition is now online. While I didn't make the Shortlist - for my article on Breece D'J Pancake - I do get Highly Commended. No bad way to start a Wednesday. More info here.

Rocket Science "Superb" - The Guardian

The Guardian have reviewed Rocket Science very favourably, calling the collection "superb". Read the whole review here.

This week on "Introducing the Author"...

http://rocketsciencenews.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/introducing-the-authors-sean-martin/

Rocket Science Launches on Sunday

Rocket Science, the anthology of sci-fi and sci-,...er, non-fi, is being launched at EasterCon on Sunday 8 April. Easter Sunday, in fact. Edited by Ian Sales and published by Mutation Press, the book is a collection of hard sci-fi and non-fiction pieces. My contribution is a story called "Dreaming at Baikonur". So, if you're at EasterCon, and not going to see George RR Martin, come along to the Rocket Science launch! Enough said. (I won't be able to go, as I'm at another festival, Tip of the Tongue, on Jura, but shall be there in spirit. No pun intended!)

The Ghosts of the NW3 Literati

I've made a modest contribution to Jen Campbell's new book, Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops, which is out now. The comment came from a customer many years ago when I was doing a lengthy stretch at Waterstone's in Hampstead. The customer in question got the title of a well-known book by CS Lewis a tad wrong.