Here's a new competition for you to enter - and we're looking for a London theme. There will be one winner of poetry and one winner of prose and each will receive a copy of The Gentle Author's 'London Album'. This is a seriously beautiful book and is well worth the winning. Our very own East End Butcher Boy, Joe Lawrence, will be the judge and his decision will be final. Entries cost £2 each and you may enter as many times as you like. Make sure...

I used a phrase in a story the other day, which I thought was fairly commonplace, but someone commented that they were now going to add it to their lexicon ( see comment ). It made me realise just how much I rely on the use of idioms in my everyday speech, and in my writing. Frankly, I blame Readers Digest. Whenever I was waiting, either at the Doctor's surgery or the Dentist's (and waiting used to be the main feature of the NHS) as a child I...

Theresa May, or may not be, the next Conservative leader and Prime Minister. But I’m with Clement Attlee on this one. : for the Tory party that inflicted those bitter experiences on me. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin. They condemned millions of first-class people to semi-starvation. Attlee was, of course, fighting his and Labour’s corner. Trying to kick-start the NHS and Welfare State and wrestle the money to pay for it away...

A double handed winner of the Story of the Week for airy fairy: http://www.abctales.com/story/airyfairy/flowers-part-one-two-ip http://www.abctales.com/story/airyfairy/flowers-part-two-two-ip And a really good poem: http://www.abctales.com/story/lovewriting/eriksay And a fun time Inspiration Point: http://www.abctales.com/inspiration-point-ip Congrats to the winners and here's to another great week of stories and poems on ABCtales.

Poetry-wise we saw a gallery of colourful artist-inspired pieces in June: a vibrant response. As I post this, I know all of us are thinking of Bee and her family. Bee’s contribution to ABCTales was immeasurable: her time for others, her consummate encouragement, that bold sense of humour that glimmered in all her work and feedback. First up this month is one of my favourite poems written by Bee: A sensual lullaby for grown-ups. Spirited and...

After the success of Jeff Torrington’s Swing Hammer Swing !, The Devil’s Carousel is his follow-up novel. Only it isn’t. It’s not a success and it’s not a novel. The Devil’s Carousel is a collection of short stories, versions of which are listed and have appeared elsewhere, such as ‘The Poacher’ in the Glasgow Herald , ‘The Sink’ in BBC publications, ‘The Fade’ in the Scottia Bar Writers prize. The setting in each story comes from the same place...

So, in case you weren’t watching, it’s out of the bag. UKIP’s primary concern is immigration. The very first point that Farage, in his valedictory speech, urges the next Prime Minister to adhere to is: “We need a new Prime Minister that puts down some pretty clear red lines, that we’re not going to give in on issues like free movement”. On the Conservative side of the fence we hear Philip Hammond saying that it is absurd to promise, before...

Our picks for the month of June have been chosen by the lovely Alex (london_calling79) I would like to dedicate this 'Pick of the Month' to the memory of our dear bee. Like a lot of us on the site, I always loved it when a comment of hers popped up on my work and was always pleased to read her wonderful words. I hope she would have approved of my picks as I had her in mind whilst choosing. For Poem of the Month it was a close one but I've gone...

While everything else falls apart, turns blue, grows wings, hangs upside down and stabs itself in all sorts of unexpected places, you can still come to ABCTales and read the most wonderful prose and poetry. Congratulations this week to samhennig for 'Edges' and Philip Sidney for 'Little Ingland 1. Histry' - both, I think, dealing with the same subject but in very different ways: http://www.abctales.com/story/samhennig/edges http://www.abctales...

Some people have said they weren't getting notifications through, so Lluis the techie has rejigged things for us and it should all be working again now. Please let me know if you're still having problems