Mike Fox

BBC Radio 4 - Drama of the Week - Available now Available episodes of Drama of the Week

Forgive me banging on about this story again - but should you wish to download it, today's the last day (from link below, or Spotify, Apple, etc) - then it's only available on BBC Sounds

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...

A Personal Anthology, by Ailsa Cox ensfr.univ-angers.fr/2026/02/05/a...

Strange indeed, Peter, but great credit to you.

Always suspected it…

Just read this, Niamh. I have to say you're bang on form (unless I should be crediting the cat?).

Yes, twenty-one exactly. Not one more, not one less.
Thank you to Minor Literature[s] and editor Tobias Ryan for publishing this cautionary tale 💊🦩💊🦚

Marvellous! Such things (in my case fewer things!) sustain us on the bumpy road of authorship.

@fictivedream.bsky.social is a wonderful compendium of the short story, as is the A Personal Anthology series curated by @jonathangibbs.bsky.social. It was a joy to revisit and reflect on stories by @grahammort.bsky.social, @david-bevan.bsky.social, and ten other superb examples of the form.

Love the atmosphere in this fragment of flash from @kieranstories.bsky.social. Your mind just wants to fill the gaps, every line a scene.

Listen again to January's Sherry's Shorts for an hour of New Start stories, including 1 from Highland writer @helensedgwick.bsky.social about a man on a quest to help sea turtles (& himself) move in the right direction. Read by @churchofben.bsky.social on @highlandhradio.bsky.social bit.ly/4buwb66

North Manchester FM: Hannah’s Bookshelf Imbolc Special, Saturday 31 January, 2-4pm - Hannah Kate Coming up on Saturday at 2pm on North Manchester FM, it’s the Hannah’s Bookshelf Imbolc Special. Join me for a special seasonal edition of the show! Here’s what’s coming up… Original seasonal short st...

Pleased to be part of this year's Hannah's Imbolc Special on North Manchester FM. The show will be going out on Saturday 31st January, 2-4pm, and the broadcast details (including the link to listen online) are here: hannahkate.net/north-manche...

Not sure about the latter, Cathy - it was one of my 'humorous' stories.

About - A Personal Anthology A weekly guest-editor picks and introduces a personal anthology of twelve favourite short stories. Click to read A Personal Anthology, by Jonathan Gibbs, a Substack publication with thousands of subsc...

Hey, it's Friday, and guess what! It's time for another Personal Anthology. This week's guest editor, picking and introducing a dozen favourite short stories, is Adrian Banfield.

Hitting inboxes at 2pm. Sign up here if you don't already, RT if you!

apersonalanthology.substack.com/about

It was shortlisted, believe it or not (in the days when I did competitions).

Wife, peering over my shoulder: 'Why on earth are you googling scrotal piercings?'
Me: 'It's for a story. I'm checking if people have them.'
Wife: 'Well of course they do.'
Me: 'Well how do you know?'
And so on...
What passes for domestic bliss in our household.

Kindest thoughts to you, Eleanor.

Well done Laura!

Poetry Worth Hearing: Episode 38 The theme for this episode (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1FeZemtLFiCIBpkyFqC24u?si=y7M0SktZQXSU1-8FcCiVrw) was 'writing nature/writing eco' and it was prompted by some comments by Nancy Campbell w...

www.poetryworthhearing.biz/post/poetry-...
Thrilled to have three poems in the latest episode of Poetry Worth Hearing. Meet a jaunty zebra, a ghostly octopus and a pair of love struck collared doves 🩷. Many thanks to Kathleen McPhilemy for featuring my words. #poetry #nature #ecology

'You tell me things, but not their names.'
Helen Dunmore, drawing down the muse (from her collection The Malarkey).

Small moment of elation to share. A story with turkey written all over it has finally come to life. Email to self: keep attending to specifics, and keep honing the language.

YouTube video by WillesdenHerald April 2011: And the winner is...

And (spoiler alert!) here is Mary O'Shea in 2011, all the way from Cork University to the Library at Willesden Green, accepting the prize for "Out of Season". Mary was also shortlisted another year for another terrific short story, "Relativity". youtu.be/aByDsmfZu_A?... #acceptanceSpeech

Thanks for taking time to read it, Susan - good luck with the TBR sandworm!

Just been catching up with A Personal Anthology, & now have a bunch of short stories—& several writers—to add to the TBR pile. Which is now far too big to constitute a pile: I'll have to turn it on its side. The TBR snake. In fact, the TBR sandworm… Thanks, Mike Fox & @jonathangibbs.bsky.social 😵‍💫

Alas rainy Richmond isn't terribly photogenic this morning, Rosanna. Hope you have a great day!

Happy #smallpoemsunday, with regards to @tomsnarsky.bsky.social 🤗 This is “Older Women,” by Jack Gilbert 🍯 😉

Thank you!

Isn't it just, Rosanna? I found the essay in the arts section of the London Evening Standard. Those were the days...

Indeed! (I have reciprocated).

Lovely story, Jo - the sort that can reawaken the child in you. Marvellous reading too - congratulations!

Much love to you, Martin and all the family, Eliza. A beautiful man and a great musician. Thanks so much for reposting this, Ailsa and Erica.