Members’ News up to June 2015

SAVE THE DATE! Susan Tiberghien will be doing a reading and signing at Payot’s new Rive location, Thursday June 18 from 18h30 – 20h00. Susan will present from her newest books, Side by Side, Writing Your Love Story and Footsteps, in Love With a Frenchman.

Patti M. Marxsen’s carefully researched biography of the little-known wife of Dr, Albert Schweitzer,Helene Schweitzer: A Life of Her Own was published at the end of April by Syracuse University Press as part of its long-standing Albert Schweitzer Library.

A 25-page essay “On Writing the Life of Helene Schweitzer” has also been published by Patti M. Marxsen as a Kindle Edition in mid-April 2015 as a supplement to her new biography. The essay reflects on various aspects of the art of biography for readers and writers, and also includes a section of Book Club Resources.

SAVE THE DATE! Patti M. Marxsen will read from her new biography of Helene Schweitzer: A Life of Her Own (Syracuse University Press, April 2015) at BooksBooksBooks in Lausanne on Friday, June 26. Gather at 18:30 for refreshments. The reading will occur shortly after 19:00 with a book signing to follow.

Patti M. Marxsen’s translation of C. F. Ramuz’s 1920 prose poem Chant de notre Rhône was published in a bilingual edition by Onesuch Press in April 2015 as Riversong of the Rhone. This first English translation ever of Ramuz’s ode to one of Europe’s most powerful rivers is introduced with a Foreword by Susan M. Tiberghien.

Susan M. Tiberghien has had both of her new books published in April of 2015 with Red Lotus Studio Press: Side By Side: Writing Your Love Story and Footsteps: In Love With a Frenchman These books are available on Amazon, and in hard cover through Susan’s website or in person, at GWG workshops and reading events!

Susan Tiberghien, Nancy Fraser Freund, Massimo Marino, Daniela Norris, Katie Hayoz, and Lesley Lawson Botez performed in reading and signing their books on June 6th 2015 from 16h00 – 17h30 at BooksBooksBooks in Lausanne. It is a brilliant location for author readings and signings, and is a rarity as an independently owned book store for English readers living around Lac Léman – bravo Mat Wake!

A staged reading of Bill Lloyd‘s play “Lost For Words” has been produced as a video for GEDS, and is now available on YouTube – very funny indeed.

The GWG Meet the Agents and Editors event in February led to a successful outcome for Massimo Marino. Massimo has a contract with Booktrope Publishing LCC in Seattle for his science fiction trilogy Daimones, and his new WIP YA urban SF “The Law,” thanks to editor April Eberhardt’s ‘intervention’!

Jo Christiane Ledakis has received an Honorable Mention for “Elegy for a Bagful of Hearts” in the 39th New Millennium Writings Poetry Contest!. The poem will be included in New Millenium 2016 anthology, and will appear at www.newmillenniumwritings.com. Congratulations Jo Christiane!

Good news too for Bashir Sakhawarz. His short story Number One Khan was published in the Asia Literary Review.

Nancy Freund announces the publication of her new book, Mailbox, A Scattershot Novel of Racing, Dares and Danger, Occasional Nakedness, and Faith. www.nancyfreundbooks.com

Bill Lloyd won second place in the Writers’ Forum (UK) monthly competition, issue no. 166. Bill thanks his small writing group, ‘The Slumdogs’, for all their support and advice!

Olivia Wildenstein has published her first YA novel, Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffitti, that is now posted on Amazon for sales – congratulations too on your Indiereader review Olivia! www.oliviawildenstein.com

The weekly column in La Cote newspaper written in English by Catherine Nelson-Pollard now appears in the much more widely circulated Thursday paper. And thank you Catherine for the write-up about the GWG at Salon du Livre!

The Guardian has published the personal essay, The Flag, by Thanh-Nu Leroy. Thanh-Nu thanks all the who have encouraged and helped her to write her stories.

A tribute to Gail Mangold-Vine, who passed away in February 2015, was organized by Susan Tiberghien for the GWG March workshop. Susan read a testament from Jennifer McDermott who wrote from NYC sharing memories of Gail’s life. Gail’s own words were read out in extracted form vis à vis her story “Tel Aviv“. Gail’s vibrant life and work will long be remembered by all who knew her.

GWG members have been attesting to the encouragement of Fish Publishing author and teacher Mary-Jane Holmes. Joy Manné lays her recent publishing successes (9 of them) “at Emjay’s feet”! Workshop and retreat opportunities through the Pully-based Fiction Festival taking place May 2 & 3, and a retreat taking place in Andalucia, Spain.

For peace of mind in which to write, Jason Donald and Michelle Bailat-Joneshave organized respective retreats in Switzerland and nearby France. Jason’s Write Time retreat takes place near Gstaad starting the evening of May 9th 2015, in order not to conflict with the GWG’s AGM the same day (thank you Jason)! Michelle’s L’Atelier retreat opportunity takes place near Dijon, 14-20 of June 2015.

Wonderful to hear from loyal GWG member Kristine Greenaway in Canada that her play Motherland is being presented at a festival of staged readings in Toronto 2015. Kristine’s piece soon to be published in Offshoots 13 is part of a creative nonfiction memoir!

Jo Christiane Ledakis, always ready with words of encouragement for GWG friends, sends word of her Letter to the Editor being published in The Financial Times. Well done Christiane on the good advice for AN Wilson!

Ginny Rogers and Alistair Scott were both awarded Honorable Mentions in ‘A Word a Day Poetic Forms’ contest, while Liz Boquet was surprised to find that her blog Oaks to Acorns featured in the recent NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writers Month). Organization of a poetry network has been initiated by Sue LeMesurierwhom we thank for her initiative.

In other new ventures Massimo Marino has been working at leading GWG published authors back to Palexpo’s Salon du Livre, which takes place April 29 – May 3, 2015. We wish all of our published authors well with this endeavor.

At the Big Apple’s IWWG conference, author Lesley Lawson Botez was in the crowd cheering on Susan Tiberghien as she spoke about publishing experiences with other women in the business. Lesley in turn was cheered on when her mini-play was staged by GEDS in the Geneva area, with mini-plays also from GWG friends William Lloyd, Wolfgang Schutt, and David Lewis.

GWG thanks Brian Thomas of GEDS among others for the fruitful collaboration and friendship between organizations.

On a serious note a short essay was published by Zeki Ergas at the blog of Hacettepe University’s Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies programme. The Spiritual Precondition of Peace in Israel-Palestine is the title/topic.

Donnalane Nelson was on the job at the recent book sale at the all-important Library in English, supporting the cause of reading through her blog – we need to support our libraries to keep reading and keep books accessible!

Alan McCluskey has been using his blog to publish and chart growth. It includes articles and reviews, as well as photos of GWG events he has attended. Alan has contributed most of the photos we’ve been able to use for our own GWG website.

A big thanks to all the GWG published authors who read from their work at the new Payot bookshop location at Rive on April 9th, 2015, as well as all the friends who came to listen, support, and purchase books. Photos will be available through our Photo gallery soon!

June 14-20: Michelle Bailat-Jones announces L’ Atelier Writers Retreat and Workshop, at Le Verger Sous les Vignes in Villeferry, France. ”The L’ATELIER WRITERS’ RETREAT AND WORKSHOP seeks to provide a balance of solitary writing space, engaging seminars, critique sessions with peers and instructors, and invigorating connection.” More info at L’Atelier Writers, or contact our lovely Michelle at michelle.bailatjones@gmail.com

Joy (Manné that is) to the world!  Joy has published Two Dogs in Flash Fiction Magazine. Joy also published flash fiction piece “Valentine Baggage” on Café Aphra.

In more joyous news, both Liz Boquet and Karen Mason have been accepted for Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf conference in Sicily, 2015, and with luck will bring tidings of interest home to us.

A short piece in four delectable parts appears from Julianne DiNenna in Every Day Fiction, the once a day flash fiction magazine.  It’s entitled “Sanctuary”

From author and Expat and Elsewhere publisher Nancy Fraser Freund, her new book is out! Mailbox: A Scattershot Novel of Racing, Dares and Danger, Occasional Nakedness and Faith.

Iqbal Alimohamed had his informative article, “Pakistan and Its Multiple Tyrannies” published on Jan. 28th at Countercurrents.org

Lesley Lawson Botez hosted an event for her nonfiction book Holding Out for A Hero at the American International Club and was interviewed by World Radio Switzerland.  Next stop is her book signing at Payot Chantepoulet, 15h30 on the perfect day – Valentine’s Day!

PK Read (that’s Paula Read to us) had her highly imaginative short story “Burp“ published at Jersey Devil Press.

Stay tuned for dates as to Susan Tiberghien’s upcoming talks and workshops in northeast US in April.  Subjects will be drawn from her new edition of Footsteps: A European Album, which is being revised as a companion to her forthcoming title Side By Side: Writing Your Love Story.

A thoughtful article appeared in YogiTimes, by Daniela Norris, entitled “Why We Are All Charlie”
The article generated a respectful discussion on GWG’s Facebook page, also a forum for thought. One of our founding GWG members, Neptune, has rounded out selections on the English language Geneva expat online and print newspaper LeNews.  Great films which can be seen locally are covered.

Livia Varju had two poems, entitled We Want Peace Now and Putsches, in Ex Tempore for the 25th issue of this UN Writers journal, as well as an English version of a long Hungarian poem, Ode To Freedom.

We’ll soon have additions to our illustrated Members Books section from Massimo Marino, Jim Murdoch, and Meg Davis, as well as updates to previous selections.  We plan to expand this section following upgrades to our technical support.

D-L Nelson has been blogging on family recipes and her short stories at:  The Corporate Virgin. Some of these will become available through Kindle, but great to see them in advance through her blogs!

Zeki Ergas continues with the Global Marshall Plan initiative, publishing on the topic of Systemic (or Paradigm) Change for a Better World: the Case of the United States.

From 2014 GWG Literary Prize winner in Fiction and Poetry, Yun Wei, shares news of four published poems at Maudlinhouse, Issue V. 

Good news from another member GWG Literary Prize, recognition in Nonfiction, Lesley Lawson Botez has published Holding Out for a Hero: five steps to marriage over 40 through an imprint of John Hunt publishing.

In writer talks happening abroad, we’ll have Susan Tiberghien doing a talk and workshop on Side By Side: Writing Your Love Story, on the 28th of April at the RJ Julia book shop in Madison, CT, USA.  A great independent book shop, please share news of this with anyone in that region.

In a local event we have Sci-Fi author and award winner Massimo Marino doing a book signing on his Daimones trilogy at Geneva’s Payot Chantepoulet location on Saturday January 24th from 16h00 – 17h30.  Come one and all to support Massimo!

Poet Emily Bilman is glad to have news of her sonnet,  “Renunciation”,  and her essay on T.S. Eliot accepted for publication in The Battersea Review in Boston USA – and we’re glad too.

An interesting podcast can be heard from the Daniela Norris interview conducted by Uma Girish of the Creating Calm network. Listen in to the conversation around grief and writing work.

Patti Marxsen has published an article in the January 22, 2015, issue of the online literary journal, Necessary Fiction, “The Magical World of Haitian Literature: A Primer.” It includes a list of Haitian novels available in English as well as some Haitian novels that deserve to be translated into English!

SilverWood Books have published a paperback version of Peter Dawe‘s Gang Rivalry. SilverWood is also producing a book – translated by Peter from the French into English – of poems by Anne-Lise Brugger Grataloup.

Sanda Ionescu has a poem in The Wait Poetry Anthology, with profits to cancer charity – Sanda’s poem can read at Lulu.

Celestial, a short story anthology, takes as its theme a comet. Katie Hayoz has written one of the stories, and it is outa sight! Free copies available of this anthologycomposed by YA authors is available through Kindle.

Elizabeth Kissam has an interesting essay on gentrification published in a magazine covering art criticism and politics, the Brooklyn Rail magazine.

Julianne DiNenna has news of her flash fiction piece ‘Recipes‘ having been published in Every Day Fiction, a magazine devoted to this form. Jule’s piece can be found in archives for October.

It’s a first prize for Joy Manné in the October Writers Forum Flash Fiction Competition!  Joy has also had success with a poem on Café Aphra, “Taking Turns.”

The Global Marshall Plan Initiative included the open letter sent earlier this fall from Zeki Ergas, to Turkey’s President Erdogan. “What Can You Do” is the title of the subject.

Thanks to Ginger Dawn in the US, books by Alan McCluskey are now being stocked in the school library of a local town. Another prime example of members getting each others work out there, nicely done Dawn (and Alan)!

Michelle Bailat-Jones gave a recent talk at the Center for Fiction in New York on her debut novel Fog Island Mountains, with a lovely audio clip.

We were able to enjoy a talk given at the Geneva Press Club by D-L Nelson during the October workshop, which included a reading from her recent novel Murder in Insel Poel as well as words from her book (drawn from her blog) about surviving breast cancer, The Cockeyed Nipple: A Survivor’s Blog.

Daniela I. Norris and Roderick (that’s Rick to us!) Vincent have teamed up to do two fall/winter book launches in Geneva, of their respective new titles. Collecting Feathers by Daniela, and The Cause by Rick, are now available through their author websites. For the launch at Payot Geneva at Chantepoulet on December 12th there’s still space available, so come one and all!

Emily Bilman‘s sonnet, “The White Owl” has been commended at the Stanza Poetry Competition, and will be published on Poetry Society’s website as well as read at London’s Southbank Centre. Emily has also recently had poems published in the Iodine Poetry Journal and Aois21 in the US.

Our Vienna-based Angela Brett has a poster of her Offshoots 12 poem “They Might Be Giants” with illustration work by Len Peralta

The latest book published in a series by our Secret Paths author Alan McCluskey, In Search of Lost Girls, is now available through the author’s site as well as through Amazon. And a smart new and revised edition of Boy & Girl is due out in September.

Adding to her list of awards Debra Moffitt shares news of her expanding translations and market. “Awake in the World” (IPPY Gold Medal Winner, 2012) will be released in Spanish in Mexico, Sept. 9, 2014, while “Garden of Bliss” (IPPY Silver Medal Winner, 2014) was translated into Lithuanian and released with a beautiful edition in May.

Livia Varju published a poem in July’s edition of the poetry journal Rubies in Darkness and has two humorous poems in the UK Earlyworks Press anthology entitled ‘ell oh ‘ell – (you have to laugh – it says so), playing with LOL: Laugh Out Loud.

We have glad tidings from award winners Massimo Marino and Daniela Norris, who both picked up prizes in the prestigious Miami Book Fair. The awards were for Readers’ Favorite choices. Massimo’s award was for his novel Once Humans, from the Daimones Trilogy, and Daniela’s for her Nonficion On Dragonfly Wings. These titles will be on display at the Miami Fair in November.

Patti Marxsen has translation of an epic prose poem entitled Chant de notre Rhone by C. F. Ramuz (1878-1944) being published in the spring of 2015 as Riversong of the Rhone by Onesuch Press – with a preface by none other than Susan Tiberghien! Patti will be talking about this Ramuz work along with another of our writer and translators, Michelle Bailat-Jones talking at the work at the September GWG workshop.

(Speaking of Susan!) our own Susan’s Tiberghien‘s newest book, Side By Side, Writing Your Love Story, will be published in print and digital formats by Red Lotus Press – along with an expanded edition of Footsteps, a European Album – in the Spring 2015 – and we couldn’t be more delighted.

Christine Breede-Schechter‘s story “Goodbye to All That (Or Not)” is the 3rd-place winner in Glimmer Train’s June 2014 Fiction Open contest. This is a US-based prize, quite competitive, and we congratulate Christine for well-deserved recognition.

The New York Times have printed the words of Iqbal Alimohamed in an article about the drivers of war. Iqbal’s piece decries a perpetual theater of war in the Middle East.

Zeki Ergas, of PEN as well as GWG, has a piece in the Hurriyet Daily News  in regard to factors at work in the Turkish elections process.

Marie-Josée d’Astrée‘s piece in French, “Monsieur Freud a bien stigmatisé les femmes” appears in Migros Magazine’s 15th of September edition, with a lovely full page photo of Marie-Josée.

We have heard from valued members such as Nancy Fraser Freund and Angela Brett, who attended the Conference of the Short Story in Vienna, organized by founding GWG Member Sylvia Petter, that it was a spectacular success, even a life-changing experience. We’ll be ensure to inform you of future conference dates.

On the 21st of June (14h00) Sophia Tellen will be reading from the French translation of her book Walking Into Moments at the Promenades dans l’Instant présent at la Village Suisse du Livre. This book is published by Xenia and includes true tales that resonate.

Daniela Norris read from her latest book On Dragonfly Wings at Geneva’s Off the Shelf English language bookshop on the 5th of June, on which occasion the audience were quite captivated by the true story of her ‘skeptics journey to mediumship’!

>Some of our published GWG authors and others will be at Off the Shelf bookstore on Saturday from 11h00 -15h00 to talk about their books!

Zeki Ergas has published an essay on the Soma catastrophe in Turkey at Hurriyet Daily News.

The Leman Poetry Workshop hosted an evening “An Evening of Bright Colours” on the 16th of May in memory of the wonderful founding GWG member Jackie Cooper: a poet, illustrator and fiction author who will long be remembered.

Jo Christiane Ledakis was the featured poet at Miami’s Poetry Buffet on Easter Monday. Jo Christiane had also been awarded first place in a South Florida Writer’s Association poetry contest.

Debra Moffit‘s book Garden of Bliss won a silver medal in the Independent Book Publishers Award (IPPY) category for mind/body/spirit. This is Debra’s second success with IPPY, the first being for her book Awake in the World.

Swiss Watching by Diccon Bewes was number three on Payot’s best seller list for last week – still going strong!

At the Salon du Livre of Geneva Marie-José Astre-Démoulin presented her first book under the pseudonym Marie-José d’Astrée, a name with true flair.

>Well done Anita Lehmann for making it to the short list of the Fish Flash Fiction Prize.

To read Daniela Norris‘ interview of (our own!) Susan Tiberghien, “Bridges of Words”, please check out page 12 of Frontier Magazine (issue no. 6).

Carmen Bugan‘s extraordinary true account of family life under the Ceausescu dictatorship, shaped by her father Ion Bugan’s dissent and brutal imprisonment is now told through her account in BBC News Magazine. Additionally BBC Radio 4 have created a documentary podcast, “The Man Who Went Looking For Freedom” told in the voices of Carmen and her family as they return to Romania.

• You can check out Liz Boquet‘s new poetry blog Oaks to Acorns as well as Daniela Norris‘ new blog on Tweets from the After Life at Members’ Blogs!

  >Patti Marxsen‘s biography entitled Helene Schweitzer – A Life of Her Own depicts the early and pioneering years of the little-known but fascinating wife of Dr. Albert Schweitzer. Spanning world wars and beyond, it will be published by Syracuse University Press in 2015 – we’re already looking forward to the true tales set in Lambarene, Gabon. Follow up with Members’ Books in the new year!

  Zeki Ergas has a new political essay on developments in Turkey in the Hurriyet Daily news exploring the meaning of Erdogan and the AKP’s victory.

  Diccon Bewes has been named “Author of the Year” by London institution, Hatchards Bookshop! Another feather in the cap for the author of Swisswatching and the more recent Slow Train to Switzerland.

  >Donnalane Nelson has an official offer on Murder in Ely, the next in her series. Set partly in Switzerland with nasty banks, the novel is a mix of ancient eeriness and contemporary issues that will be on shelves before too long.

  Kristine Greenaway has completed the second draft of a play based on the story of an Armenian actor trying to break into theater and film. Kristine met the real life actor in Yerevan and is using “Motherland” as the working title for this collaboration.

  Sarah Hathorn, now studying at St Andrew’s University, won the Suisse International School’s “Golden Cowbell Award” for Children’s Books (Grades 6-8). This award was voted on by the librarians of the International Schools in Switzerland and reflects its real popularity with students themselves.

  For fans of GWG’s Wallis Wilde-Menozzi, a review of her novel Toscanelli’s Ray penned by our own Rick Vincent appears on the Ploughshares blog.

  Wallis Wilde-Menozzi‘s observations on Italy’s films and their societal reflections have been published through the NowItaly website.

  Elizabeth Kissam has published a perceptive Opinion piece on the story behind the creation of the film “12 Years A Slave” on the Al Jazeera website.

  Zeki Ergas talks about his publications directed at the betterment of society. See the video on YouTube.

  Nancy Fraser Freund‘s novel Rapeseed has been chosen as a Finalist for the Foreward Magazine Best Book of the Year Award in General Fiction!

  Marcus Ferrar gave an inspiring lunchtime talk on his book Budapest House: A Life Re-Discovered at our GWG March workshop at the Press Club.

  Livia Varju had a poem published in the English poetry journal Rubies in Darkness in November.  Phoenix New Life Poetry have included seven of her haiku in their Winter issue. Additionally, six of her poems, four of which are translations, were published in the UN literary journal Ex Tempore.

  D-L Nelson‘s novel Murder on Insel Poel received a very enthusiastic review in Publisher’s Weekly Review: onward Donnalane!

  Rick Vincent‘s short story “General Patton’s Promise” went live on Amazon in February. Originally published in 2009, the promise lives on!

  Bill Lloyd‘s play “A Business-like Affair” was a dramatic success at its debut at GEDS in late February, and there’s now talk of an extended version to be positioned in an international festival. Bravissimo Bill!

  Daniela Norris has a new contract for a selection of short stories: Angel Feathers and and More Stories from the Other Side, to be published by Soul Rock Books. Further news will be available on Members’ News upon publication.

  Michelle Bailat-Jones has received the very generously funded Christopher Doheny Award from the Center for Fiction for her novel Fog Island Mountain. Created in honor of a young man full of life, we congratulate Michelle for winning it.

  Peter St. John Dawe‘s book trailer for his sixth novel in the “Gang” series can be viewed at here, and read his interviews with Maria Grace (here) and GWG member Ginger Dawn (here)!  Congratulations Peter!

  Emily Bilman’s latest book of poetry, “A Woman By a Well: A Self-Portrait” published by Melinda Cochrane International of Canada, will become available through Amazon (or Emily!) by the end of January.

  Felicitations to Bill Lloyd, whose play “A Business-like Affair” (a hilarious comedy) was selected by GEDS for a staged reading on the 25th of February, 2014.  Please check GEDS website for details.

  Linda Lappin‘s article “Katherine Mansfield and D. H. Lawrence: A Parallel Quest”, winner of a KM Society essay prize competition a few years, ago, marks the 91st anniversary of Mansfield’s death.  View at this article on a truly great short story writer at: http://www.lindalappin.net/files/E_print__Parallel_Quest.pdf

  Zeki Ergas‘ political essay, The Center Cannot Hold – The Second American Revolution has been published through the platform SHARE.  http://www.sharing.org/information-centre

  Stella Chan Pasteur has won a place pursuing her MFA at Seattle Pacific University.

  A play in English about Voltaire by Kristine Greenaway will be performed at the Chateau de Voltaire in lovely Ferney, France, in 2014.

  Daniela Norris will soon be publishing On Dragonfly Wings!, a new book about a skeptic’s journey into medium-ship.  Early reviews are rave, for details see http://www.axismundi-books.com/books/on-dragonfly-wings

  Emily Bilman has had three poems and a short fiction piece accepted for publication in The Inspired Heart Vol. 2 and two poems for the San Diego Poetry Annual 2014.

  Sylvia Petter is happy to report that her “Kid’s Story“, The Rules of the Game, has been included in the charity anthology, A Test of Time. The Rules of the Game first appeared in the Europress anthology, Moments in Time, and subsequently at Ether Books.

  After giving a talk at the German Historical Society in London, Marcus Ferrar celebrated a launch of his new book, The Budapest House, at the Summertown Book House in Oxford.  Photos available at Marcus’s website!

  GWG member Catherine Nelson-Pollard joined with Diccon Bewes of Swiss Watching and Slow Train to Switzerland and Helen Stubbs of Off the Shelf bookstore in Geneva to create a wonderful launch, lecture and Q & A right in Nyon. http://livinginnyon.com/slow-train-run-away-success/

  Katie Hayoz has had a go at an A-Z amazon experience with Kissing Clarisse: A Young Adult Short Story.  It’s about the hottest girl in a 1957 high-school class and is now scorching up Amazon…

  An illustrated paperback edition of Peter St John’s Gang Petition was published 15 November by SilverWood Books.

  Peter St John also contributed an article entitled “The Men are Away at War” to a recently published anthology, “Castles, Customs and Kings”, prepared by the English Historical Fiction Authors.

  Emily Bilman has had three poems and a short fiction piece accepted for the second edition of “The Inspired Heart” anthology out of Quebec. Also, Emily’s sonnet entitled “Noli, Timere”, in memory of Seamus Heaney has been accepted by “Noted” the UNIGE English Department’s literary magazine.

  Bashir Sakhawarz has just had his story “Number One Khan” accepted for Asia Literary Review.

  Moyette Marrett Gibbons has had the draft of her novel Disappearing long-listed for the Mslexia novel competition!

  Livia Varju has five poems appearing in the Autumn issue of Phoenix New Life Poetry, four of which she has translated from Hungarian, and one original acrostic poem, “Magic of Creation.

  On the 5th of September Iqbal Alimohamed published an article espousing a diplomatic solution for the ongoing and tragic Syria crisis which can be read in the Oriental Review. Thank you Iqbal!

  Moyette Marrett has won a competition for a week-long writing retreat at the Sagra delle Words festival in Sabina, Italy, based on the opening of her novel-in-progress, ‘Disappearing.’

  Patti Marxsen‘s prose poem, “Girl Braiding Her Hair” inspired by the Albert Anker painting in Winterthur, has appeared in the September issue of the American literary journal EKPHRASIS.

  Marcus Ferrar has had Budapest House: a Life Re-discovered published by Crux Publishing of London.  This historical memoir which captures the dramatic personal history of a Hungarian Jewish girl returning to her Budapest roots is now available online through Kindle, and will be available in paperback by late September.

  Livia Varju‘s translation of Holy Mary of the Way, an Espinosa hymn, has been published in English from the Italian. She heard this in a cathedral in Montegrotto, Italy, and was moved to translate it spontaneously. It can be found in the Summer issue of Phoenix New Life Poetry. Livia has also published a poem, “Death is New Life”, in the July 2013 issue of Rubies in the Darkness, a journal of poetry.

  Emily Bilman has had nine poems published in The Inspired Heart, a contemporary Canadian anthology, purchases of which will benefit in part the Better Youth Movement in Detroit, USA. Emily has also had four poems published in the Autumn issue of Salzburg Review, no. 24.

  Carmen Bugan‘s collection of poems, The House of Straw, is going to be published in January. Her memoir, Burying the Typewriter, was named finalist in the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, results to be announced end of September.

  Pamela Taylor has won a bronze and Editors Choice award for her story in Travelers’ Tales.  You can read her story at http://travelerstales.com/carpet/002819.shtml.

  Livia Varju had a paracrostic poem, “We Want Peace Now”, dedicated to the people of Syria, in the Spring issue of Phoenix New Life Poetry.

  Patty Jehle‘s article “Photographic Unfolding and Prayer” has been selected to be published in the May issue of Connections. Connections is the online journal for Spiritual Directors International.

  Pamela Taylor, AKA Taylor Jennings, won a Bronze Solas award, Travelers Tales 2013 in the Adventure Travel category for “On the Trail of a Man Called Snake”, about the hunt for the Kosovar war commander who later became the President of newly independent Kosovo: http://www.besttravelwriting.com/award-winners-2013/.

  Burying the Typewriter was just put on the longlist for the Geroge Orwell Prize for political writing.  The prize is one of most prestigious in England, and is awarded every year for the book that comes closest to George Orwell’s desire to ‘turn politcal writing into an art’.

  Catherine Janzen‘s article, “Becoming an Ex-Expat: Getting Moved,” was published in the January 2013 issue of Intercom: The Magazine of The Society for Technical Communication, which, in this special themed issue, focuses on global technical communication.

  MODERN EKPHRASIS, by Emily Bilman, traces the evolution of ekphrasis from Plato to Derrida by analysing modern poems by Sylvia Plath, WC Williams, Nemerov, Ashbery and paintings by de Chirico, Charles Demuth, Paul Klee, Frank Stella in the light of the major contemporary theories of creativity.  ISBN 978-3-0343-1363-6 Orders at Peter Lang Academic Publishers, Bern, Switzerland.

  Bill Lloyd has a memoir “The Interview” published by the weekly ‘Ireland’s Own’ magazine, issue dated 08 March 2013.

  Debra Moffitt‘s two books – “Garden of Bliss” and “Riviera Stories” – will be released in May 2013. Garden of Bliss is a memoir/inspirational book about learning to work with intuition, dreams, and inner guidance. Riviera Stories is a collection of short stories set on the French Riviera.

  Patti Marxsen has an article and a book chapter appearing this month, one in German and one in French. (The German chapter was translated from English, and the French was aided and abetted by a compassionate editor.) 1. “Hélène Schweitzer dans le monde,” Saisons d’Alsace, the tri-annual magazine of the principal newspaper in the French province of the Alsace, Les Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace [The Latest News of the Alsace]. March, 2013. 2. “Wie Amerika Albert Schweitzer kennen lernte,” in Albert Schweitzers Lambarene –1913 bis 2013 – Zeitzeugen berichten by Jo and Walter Munz. (Eglisau, Switzerland: Verlag elfundzehn, 2013). ["How Americans Came to Know Albert Schweitzer," a book chapter in Albert Schweitzer's Lambarene -1913 to 2013]

  Zeki Ergas‘ historical novel: From the Balkans to Asia Minor.  A Family Saga in the War Years of 1912-22 first published by Isis Press in Istanbul in 2004 has been re-published by Gorgias Press of New York. See: www.gorgiaspress.com

  Ellen Massey Leonard‘s article, Following Cook and Slocum: Voyagers Head North Inside Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, just came out as the center feature in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Ocean Navigator magazine.  It can be read on page 26 of this PDF where the layout is best, or online here.

  Livia Varju has 5 poems in the latest issue of Ex Tempore, the UN literary journal.  They are about the wages of Revenge, the pursuit of Happiness, Loyalty, universal Love, and Mother Earth.

  >Congratulations to our long time member, David Walters, for receiving the distinction conferred by the Vontobel Foundation for Third Age Creativity. A highly esteemed honor awarded to a handful of ‘senior’ artists, writers, inventors,  creators.

  Bill Lloyd‘s sketch “A Dog in the Freezer” will be included in an evening of monologue plays read by actors and organised by The Geneva English Drama Society on January 15. Full details at the GEDS website under Playreadings: www.geds.ch

  Zeki Ergas has published on the Net a new short essay entitled: Barack Obama. The Path to Greatness. From Commander-in-Chief to Educator-in-Chief

  Iqbal Alimohamed has had an article published in the Oriental Review. It concerns the severe dangers to human beings and the environment as a result of nuclear testing, and calls upon all to sign the Atom Project petition urging cessation of all nuclear testing and, importantly, a total ban on all nuclear weapons.

  Laura Gene Alpern‘s romance novel “Loving Roberto” was published in October by a publisher in Florida, Whimsical Publications. It is available both as an e-book and in print. The full details and a sample chapter, are available here and on her website: www.lauragenealpern.com.

  Zeki Ergas has had an essay, The anthropocene age and the rise of the homo plutocratus, published in Global Marshall Plan News.

  Carmen Bugan‘s Burying the Typewriter is available from Payot Chantepoulet and online from Picador and www.amazon.co.uk. Her poetry collection, Crossing the Carpathians, is available also from Payot Chantepoulet, Carcanet and from www.amazon.co.uk.

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