COVENTRY’S COMMA PRESS BOOK LAUNCH
Coventry’s literary scene should be buzzing this week, in anticipation of a brand-new short fiction anthology published by Comma Press. The Book of Coventry is the newest addition to their ‘reading the city’ series, which seeks to explore the true character of places around the world, through commissioning short stories written by a diverse selection of local authors. It’s exciting to have Coventry (where HCE magazine is based) join the ranks of other remarkable cities anthologised by Comma Press, such as Bristol, Newcastle, Venice and Tokyo.
The Book of Coventry contains eleven short stories, all set in Cov and penned by writers who have grown up, lived or worked here. Readers will encounter plenty of Coventry landmarks and references, and an enticing variety of storytelling styles that touch down in the city across different eras, from World War II to the present time.
HCE editor Raef was involved in the project and helped Comma Press track down a group of highly talented Coventry writers, some widely acclaimed and others locally renowned: ANDREA MBARUSHIMANA (V20 Pamphlet Prize winner), the late GRAHAM JOYCE (O. Henry Award winner), NIRMAL PUWAR (writer and researcher), ANDREW DAVIES (Emmy Award winner), NICK WALKER (Perrier nominee), DAVID COURT (writer and poet), NUZO ONOH (Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement winner), HOLLY WATSON (creator of The Coventry Conch), MEZ PACKER (Commonwealth Writers’ Prize nominee), TANYA PENGELLY (currently shortlisted for the Rhys Davies Short Story Award), and CATHY GALVIN (founder and director of Word Factory).
YOU are invited to the launch event, happening in a few days’ time – get your hands on The Book of Coventry earlier than everyone else, hear readings by four of the authors and take the chance to ask questions about their Cov stories and experiences!
Thursday 26th September 2024
Venue: CommonGround café at FarGo Village, Coventry, CV1 5ED
Doors open 6.30pm
Tickets (price includes copy of the book):
OR you can pre-order a copy of the book here:
The Comma Press team are travelling down from Manchester to launch the anthology in Cov specially, so it’d be great to see a big homegrown audience at the event. HCE feels confident the launch will be a good night out, with plenty of time for socialising and speaking to all the authors after the official readings and Q&A.
‘Cov Kids’, make sure you’re represented – come and support your local writers!