For this launch, Siobhan Logan lay down a trail of breadcrumbs to lead us through the fantastical forest these Space Cat Star authors conjured up through their poems / stories. Between contemplating the magic of a simple leaf, escaping for our lives from hungry wolves, and taking on spirit guardians, we did somehow manage to scoff down a buffet of tasty treats and cakes before venturing back out into the chilly evening air. But hopefully not before rekindling a love of this Wilding World in the heart of all who entered.
Category: Publication: Bark & Bone
Launching Bark and Bone
We will be launching the paperback edition of our Bark & Bone anthology with a face-to-face event next Saturday, 25th November between 2pm and 4:30pm. This very special book party will lure you into a forest whose dark twisty paths wind through various genres from fairytale and science fiction to weird fiction with coverts of mild horror. Pop by for shiny new books, birthday cake and readings from our lovely Space Cat stars.
Halloween Ebook Launch
What better time to be launching our Bark and Bone book than Halloween weekend? Our third anthology is cauldron-stuffed with spooky tales and magical vibes. Forest-themed, Bark and Bone is a thicket of enchantment with dark twisty paths winding through various genres from fairytale and science fiction to weird fiction with coverts of mild horror. We’ve trailed the cover design, back blurb and Preface on this blog already. Finally, you can get your hands on the book itself!
BristolCon Review Pt I: Dealer’s Room
In honour of this weekend's Bark & Bone elaunch, our table in the Dealer's Room was packed with lots of Halloween decorations and treats. Surprisingly, no one batted an eyelid at the fact we had a Christmas tree up in October, though perhaps the spooky ornaments hanging from it had something to do with that...
A Forest of Bark and Bone
A walk into the forest should not be undertaken lightly. Preparations may be wise. Think of Hansel and Gretel with their bag of crumbs to mark the trail. Pay attention to the lore of ancestors who knew how ravenous the forest can be. Accordingly, we are setting out some stepping stones in this Preface, to provide footholds in the murk.
Bark & Bone Cover Reveal
It was an absolute pleasure to work with our cover artist, Sally Barnett, to arrive at this design. Sally read the material first and developed her sketches organically from the writers’ work. This process has led to a design with many Easter eggs hidden in the forest which our writers and readers will have fun spotting.
Title Reveal: Into the Forest Anthology
After a busy summer of whittling and polishing the wood, we can part the leaves to give you glimpses of the emerging book. First up, we have two titles and a whole slew of exciting events to unveil.
Recommended Reading: Into the Forest Longlist
As we mentioned in last week's shortlist blog, there were many pieces on the longlist for our Into the Forest anthology that we would have loved to publish if we had more space. Fortunately, many of them already have homes elsewhere. Here are links to publications/websites where you can read 22 superb forest-themed pieces from the longlist.
Into the Forest Shortlist
Eventually, the blood moon waned and our two editors emerged from the bunker, somewhat tattered, clutching the shortlist. It’s a list that gives us goosebumps in all the good ways. We have alien trees, poisonous trees, synthetic trees; there are bears, wolves and one mutant squirrel; there are hunters, eco-activists and a red princess; druids, AI and fae, broken people looking for somewhere to hide. There are trees that speak, trees that watch, trees that bide their time. The shortlist is all that we had hoped for and so much more. In sharing it with you, we hope you experience the same shiver of anticipation.
Into the Forests of Our Uncharted Souls
We are once more into the last month of our Into the Forest submission call (new closing date: 2nd June 2023). We have been blown away by the amount of submissions we have received thus far and are looking forward to seeing what else you all come up with over the next four weeks.