We are delighted to reveal the poems shortlisted for The 9th Annual Bangor Poetry Competition. A huge congratulations to everyone who made the long and short-lists! Thank you to everyone who sent us wonderful poems on 'freedom'! thebangorliteraryjournal.com/2021/09/16/the…

Woke up to discover I’ve made the shortlist for this annual Northern Irish poetry competition (for the second consecutive year) with my poem ‘Stripes’. Please check out the poems and vote for your top three. Voting ends on Monday September 20th. Thanks.

Delighted to receive an Honorable Mention in this comp for my 1000-word story. Congrats to everybody placed.

Thanks to all Janus Literary - on hiatus for this accolade. It means a lot. X

One of my favourite-ever typos. Contained in a directive from my car park manager pinned onto the staff noticeboard. He had been complaining about a drop in standards in our workwear, i.e. we’re too scruffy.

Spotted The Blues Brothers off to their Christmas party.

⁦@[email protected]⁩ A friend I met for coffee last week and gave me a present, not to be unwrapped until today, my birthday. Despite losing her mum and brother over Christmas, she found time to buy me this book. Just read your warm and engaging foreword. Now for some more …

Had a full body scan for the first time ever, at Salford Royal. On my back, claustrophobic, loud incessant beat. Afterwards radiologist asked me was I okay. Told her it was like being in a time capsule, transported to the Eighties at The Hacienda.

I’m on this with my 1000 word story about a redeployment interview. 😀

Delighted to have been Highly Commended in this international competition for my story about a redeployment interview.

This looks great. Engaging short stories in a wonderful setting. So happy to be reading out my words. Join us if you can.

On this day, May 29th, 1968, Manchester United beat Benfica 4-1 to become the first English club to lift the European Cup. I was 9, watching the game on our black & white TV. It wasn’t until the following week and I saw a colour photo in a magazine I realised we’d played in blue.

congrats to Chris Cottom on winning this flash fiction comp with his story about cake, a start-up business, thwarted passion, and a puff pastry twist at the end.

Two of my 40-word stories have made the shortlist and a third is on the long-list of this great Northern Irish mini-fiction competition. I think I may have found my ‘nitch’ as Paula Abdul used to say when she was a judge on American Idol.

So made up to have won this fab Northern Irish mini fiction comp with my story, Klepto. I’m heading over to Bangor next month to read this and other stories. Congrats to everybody placed and shortlisted,

Delighted to have three flash fictions in the fab e-Journal

Delighted to say that we are doing another short print run of Steve Smythe's Looking for Love. Copies will be available for the RCP website and direct from Steve Steve Smythe

Made up to have won this competition with my 1000-word story, ‘Bully’. Congrats to everybody placed. First story I’ve ever written using the second person voice. Glad I did. Will post link when story is uploaded. X

Delighted to have won this competition. Here’s my 1000-word story. Thanks to Chris Cottom lindy newns Emma and Barbara for your help.

Fab line-up. Looking forward to reading at this wonderful venue.