To get to the launch of Burrard Inlet, I walked down along the Swansea waterfront, passed the old docks and warehouses - now mostly new apartments - and crossed the sail bridge to the Dylan Thomas Centre. I hadn't thought of it in advance, but what better place to launch a collection of stories about manual labour and the fishing industry, than that? And it was a real boon to have Alan Bilton, a lecturer from Swansea University, act as host on the night, and interview me about Burrard Inlet. We christened the book with a few beverages, and have now sent it on its way. The launch-promo journey continues for me this week in Aberystwyth, where I'll be partaking in an event arranged by the Welsh Short Story network, and reading alongside three other authors: Jo Mazelis, Nic Herriot, and Caroline Oakley. We'll be in the Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Wednesday night (April 30th) at 7:45. Should be a great mix of readers and audience members - so if you're in the area come along to check it out.
Just before a story gets published, or a book gets released, I always have this wild feeling, this exhilerated feeling. Possibly the same feeling a hockey player gets just before the puck drops in a big game, or an actress just before she steps on stage. It's a charged sensation - the feverish hope that anything can happen. You might score five goals, or your book might catch on and become an indie hit. In my case it's no doubt partly delusional, but that's still the feeling I'll be carrying through into next week, when we launch my story collection, Burrard Inlet. The event is at Swansea's Dylan Thomas Centre, on World Book Day (April 23rd). I'll be interviewed by author, academic, and cinematic afficionado Alan Bilton. Things kick off at 7.30. Tickets are free, and so is the booze. This artistic vessel has been years in the making, and I can't wait to send it on its way.
My story, 'Hot Feet,' has just been published in Black Static magazine, courtesy of TTA Press. The piece is an oddity - a mix of true crime, thriller, and horror - and was based on real events that took place (and are still taking place, actually) back home in Vancouver. Basically, severed feet, in different shoes, sporadically wash up on the city's beaches. As you'd imagine, people are understandably horrified/fascinated. Even if the explanation may be more mundane - as reported in The Daily Beast - the macabre contrast of the feet, against the backdrop of a carefree and sun-scorched West Coast summer, worked its way into my head. I dreamt this story first, woke up at about three in the morning, and scribbled down a draft. I was like, thank you, muse.
