A Personal Anthology: news, Christmas special, and call for contributors
Hi there.
The last email you received from A Personal Anthology was five months ago, as the project broke for its summer holiday. I had intended to start again in September, as usual, but a new job got in the way, and a new book project.
(That book is now available to buy, by the way. Spring Journal is a long poem written in response to the coronavirus pandemic, modelled on Louis MacNeice's great poem Autumn Journal, which he wrote in 1938 as the second world war loomed. You can buy a copy from your local independent bookshop or direct from the publisher, CB Editions.
Lucy Caldwell called it "a restless, questing, witty, urgent piece of journalist-poetry". Linda Grant said "I’ll be buying copies for all my friends because this is going to be my bible and companion in the dark months to come."
The book launches on Sat 5 December on David Collard's 'Carthorse Orchestra'. If you would like an invite please let me know.)
There, self-promotion over.
So, the good news is that A Personal Anthology will return properly in the new year, with the first weekly email going out on Friday 8th January. I have some guest-editors lined up, but am always on the lookout for more, so if you are keen to take part then please do get in touch with me.
Also – and adjacently – we will be doing one of our annual seasonal special emails to celebrate Christmas/Hanukkah/Winter and the New Year. So whether you're a former contributor or a subscriber, and have a favourite wintery, end-of-year-y, Christmassy short story that you'd like to share and introduce, then please do let me know. I'd love to have it!
This Christmas special will go out on Monday 21st December, so I'll need finished copy by Friday 18th.
Any questions, do let me know, and remember that you can always browse the archive at www.apersonalanthology.com with its hundreds of short story recommendations.
All the best, and happy reading
Jonathan Gibbs