Denise Mina’s The Long Drop won Bloody Scotland's William McIlvanney Prize for crime fiction. You expect it to be good. The first-year philosophy student in me, or indeed William McIlvanney’s, Detective Laidlaw, would be the first to ask, what do you mean by good? I mean I did like it. But if I hadn’t read it that wouldn’t bother me that much. I wouldn’t be pressing a copy of the book on acquaintances and saying you must read this. There’s good...

ABCTALES READING – LONDON, 3rd FEBRUARY We’re happy to announce our next abctales readings evening, all set to take place in London on Saturday, 3rd February. Yes, a Saturday! We’ve been thinking that holding it on a weekend might give more of you a chance to take part than on a school night … and give us more time for socialising before and after the event. It’s an opportunity for anyone to come along and read their work – poetry or prose – to...

I’m delighted with European football after Christmas and I love Celtic playing in the Champions League. It doesn’t bother me that much that Celtic get whopped 7-1 by PSG, obviously I don’t like it, but funnily enough there were encouraging signs and on another day Celtic might have sneaked a draw or even won, as the newly-promoted French team recently did. Hyperbole? Here we’re back to reality and I said before the game that it wouldn’t surprise...

Picture - taken Christmas 2016, larger tree this year, so far haven't taken any pics! Last night I slipped out to pick up a few items in Dereham town centre. There are some shops open quite late. It was only around 18:30 and quite dark. It got lively as I reached Greggs corner, where a small group came rushing out chasing an older man with a stick. I was between the group of one man and his two female friends and the man that they were chasing...

Poverty is always a simple story full of missing people. In a week when American Congress has passed a Bill to give over a trillion dollars American taxpayer’s money to the obscenely rich, Kit de Waal’s, My Name is Leon , is a fictional, child’s account, of what it means to be poor and forgotten in Britain in the nineteen-eighties. The irony here is things were better then. Leon is nine and he takes care of his mum, Carol, as best he can, his...

November's picks very kindly chosen by love_writing: Gosh it's so difficult, there are so many good pieces, but these are the two which have stayed with me; Poem: 'At the Arts Council in Manchester' It's a well crafted thought-provoking piece which mixes in a startling way everyday moments with death. Story: 'Poppy' This story told from child's perspective has stayed with me since reading it. It's hard- hitting in its innocence. https://www...

We have had to suspend the automatic joining facility for a while so if you would like to join us please email admin@abctales.com with your desired username and we will set up an account for you. It's all free!

This weekend, we are writing to 3 poets inviting them to re-submit a further 3 poems. We are also promoting a further 3 poets to the second stage submission process, inviting them to submit a small portfolio of 10 further poems. Plus, we are still receiving new submissions. Not bad going. Thanks for the support. More always welcome.

It's a writing dilemma. I know that I am able to push myself harder and there are a couple of directions where I can go. My writing strengths are non-fiction and fiction with its feet firmly embedded in fact. And thanks ABC for giving me the space to play around in all directions and come to this assessment. Now where do I go? One option is to create a collection of full-on factual memory writings. Another is to arise off my 61 year old ass and...

Very exciting news! One of our best poets on ABCTales - maggyvaneijk - has her first book coming out in January. You can pre-order it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Remember-This-When-Youre-Sad/dp/1911600737/ref=... 're+sad