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news
2012

february

I'm delighted that my short short story, The Beam Line,  is the winner of Diamond Light Reading's synchrotron-inspired flash fiction competition, and will be published in the winners' anthology! You can read the story here.

M
y story Into The Waiting Arms of God has been shortlisted for the Unbound Press/Spilling Ink Flash Fiction contest.

january

I'm thrilled to announce that my second collection, My Mother Was An Upright Piano: Fictions, will be published in Spring 2012 by Tangent Books!

I'm delighted that my poem, Dreams of a Tea Seller, has been commended in the Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Competition.

I am interviewed at Winning Words which has chosen The White Road and Other Stories as its first book club pick.


2011

december

My short short, Dissolving, is published in r.kv.r.y's Winter issue.

Metazen has nominated my flash fiction, The Watch My Father Wanted,  for the Micro award, alongside Marcus Speh's excellent Swingers. More information here.

My science-inspired story, Experimentation, is published in the December 24th issue of New Scientist, available worldwide. It is also published on the New Scientist blog.

I am currently doing a mini-writing-residency running a creative writing workshop for asylum seekers at Bristol Refugee Rights, as part of English PEN's Big Writing for a Small World project.

I am delighted to have been invited to participate in the Poets versus Proseurs event at the Not The Oxford Literary festival in March 2012. More details soon.

My flash story, The beam line, is one of those in the running for the Diamond Light Reading flash fiction competition. Read the entries and vote for your favourite here.

My flash story, Burrowing Blind, is published on Metazen.

I have been chosen as one of the Edinburgh-based Genomics Forum's Bright Ideas Fellows for 2012 and will be writer-in-residence there in April.

My short short story, Dissolving, has been accepted for publication in r.kv.r.y magazine in January.


november

I'm delighted that my short short, The Tragedy of Tragic Men, has been shortlisted for PANK magazine's 1001 Awesome Words contest, (my third shortlisting in this contest in three years) and will be published in Feb 2012.

The video interview I did is now up at Ink Tears. I'm talking about short stories, reading, writing, the perfect short story etc...

I'm thrilled to announce that my science-inspired story, Experimentation, will be published in the December 24th issue of New Scientist!

My flash story
Move Quickly Now has just been published in Beat The Dust. 

I am this month's Cyprus Well South West writer in profile, read the interview here.

october

Tickets are now available for the "Joy of Short Stories" event I am doing with the wonderful Mike Manson at Emersons Green library on Nov 9th in celebration of National Short Story Week! Booking is also open for the
two flash fiction workshops I am running together with Vanessa Gebbie, Bridport Open Book Festival on Fri 25th Nov and Sat 26th Nov. Click on the dates for more information - and come along to either, or both!

I am chatting about my thoughts on short stories and flash fiction over at Ink Tears.

My prose poem, Like Owls, is included in the new issue of Specs Journal, which is available in print only. But you can see a video of me reading the poem here

I am by Tim at the LitRefs blog about fiction, science, science fiction etc...


My very short story All Activity is Silent has just been published in kill author. 

september

My flash story, The Watch My Father Wanted, has just been published in Metazen, Timeless is in the latest issue of .Cent magazine (page 13) and Waving on the Moon is in the Fall issue of A capella Zoo. My short poem, Moss, is in the current issue of Alba.

Ramola D, a fantastic short story writer, interviewed me, Robin Black and Liam Callahan about the notion of authors building a "literary platform" over at the Los Angeles Review, an interesting topic.


I'm the September guest editor over at National Short Story Week, talking about some recent collections I love and what's coming up this month for short stories.


I'm delighted to be reading as part of the launch of 2012 Bristol Short Story prize at Foyles Bristol, October 18th 6.15pm-7.30pm. More details here.


august

I'm talking about Noticing in a guest blog post over at Flash Fiction Chronicles.

My story, All Activity is Silent, has been accepted for Issue 15 of Kill Author, to be published in October.

My story, Colours Shift and Fade, which was first published several years ago in the Vestal Review, will be included in the Frogmore Press' "Languages of Colour" anthology.

I'm delighted that my flash story, Her Dirt, which was inspired by the  'Dirt' exhibition (on til Aug 31st) at the Wellcome Collection - a fantastic institution "exploring the connections between medicine, life and art" -
is published on the Wellcome Collection blog, the first time the blog has featured flash fiction!


july

BREAKING NEWS: The BBC, which calls itself "the world's leading broadcaster of short stories and a staunch and long-time supporter of the form" is cutting the Afternoon reading programme, their premier showcase for short stories, to once a week.  Read more here and have your say.

ShortStoryVille, the Bristol Short Story Prize's  one day extravaganza is happening on July 16th at the Arnolfini, Bristol! Check it out. I am chairing a discussion on reading short stories, you can book tickets here.


june

My Story, We Watched Him On Our Screens, inspired by a photograph, has
been turned into a typograph and is part of the Photo Stories exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Typographs are also for sale. More information here.

Litmus, Comma Press' "Short Stories from Modern Science" anthology, which includes my specially-comissioned story, We Are All Made of Protein But Some of Us Glow More Than Others, is now available. Click here for more information.

My story In Memoriam, has received an Honorable Mention in The Binnacle's Eighth Ultra-Short Story Competition and will be published in the Ultra-Short issue.  My story, Disease Relics, is published in Issue 1 of Australian magazine Inky Squib. I am interviewed by Jen Campbell over on her excellent blog.


may

I am quoted in a wonderful article in London's Evening Standard on flash fiction, "Twitter inspires a flash of genius".

The  line-up has just been announced for
ShortStoryVille, the Bristol Short Story Prize's  one day extravaganza on July 16th at the Arnolfini, Bristol! Check it out. I am chairing a discussion on reading short stories, you can book tickets here.

16-21 May 2011
I am a tutor, Arvon Foundation short story course, together with Sarah Salway.

Litmus, Comma Press' "Short Stories from Modern Science" anthology, which includes my specially-comissioned story, We Are All Made of Protein But Some of Us Glow More Than Others, will be published on June 2nd. Click here for more information.

I am interviewed by the excellent Shortfire Press about short stories and writing. My flash story, Vegetable Mineral, has been included in Wigleaf's
2011 longlist of Top 50 Very Short Fictions .

My story Waving on the Moon has been accepted for publication in A capella Zoo's next issue.

april

15th: 2 new stories published today! In Triplicate, in Metazen, and Tiny Unborn Fish in Litro's Science issue

Unfortunately, due to illness, I have had to cancel my participation in the short story event at the Cambridge Wordfest. It will be great, please do go if you are in the area!

My new science-inspired short story, Tiny Unborn Fish, is published in the Science-themed issue of Litro.

I have added a new Inspired By... page to my website, with some fabulous videos are inspired by my short stories. Do have a look...

I was recently interviewed for a UK government careers website, Creative Choices, for "careers in the creative and cultural industries". The article is here.

march

I am the guest reader for an Arvon Foundation schools course for pupils from my old school, South Hampstead High, taught by the wonderful Naomi Alderman and Frances Leviston.

My flash story Retreating I Retreated is published in Metazen.

My story That Small Small Inch, which was a runner-up in PANK Magazine's 1,001 Awesome Words contest, is published in their March issue.

My story Maneouvres is a semifinalist in the Vestal Review Ten Years in Flash Fiction contest, judged by Steve Almond. Winner announced March 31st.

March 16th I'm reading at the Wise Words Festival, 6.30pm, Spitalfields, London, along with Jay Merill, Sarah Salway, Elizabeth Baines, Catherine Smith and Susannah Rickards.

My short story, Graveside, has been published on Necessary Fiction, my second "Mary Margaret" story. And two flash stories, Retreating I Retreated and In Triplicate, have been accepted by Metazen, and a prose poem, Like Owls, by Specs.
 

A little advance notice: I am chairing a Salt Publishing session on short stories with wonderful Salt authors Vanessa Gebbie and Andre Mangeot at Cambridge WordFest. Book tickets here.

I am thrilled that The White Road and Other Stories is included on a list of "10 collections to celebrate the strength of British short story writers" compiled by Booktrust!

My lab-inspired flash story, Tiny Unborn Fish, has been accepted for the science-themed issue of the excellent London literary magazine, Litro
.

february

I am running a flash fiction workshop at Jewish Book Week on the 28th. Click here for more details.

I did a live Q&A tonight (Feb 17th) on the excellent Thresholds Short Story Forum, pop in between 7.30pm-9pm, UK time, and you can read all the excellent questions and my answers here.

My short story Graveside has been accepted for the March Irish-themed issue of Necessary Fiction. It's a first for me: the first time I've had a story published which features a character I have written about before, in this instance Mary Margaret, who was the main character in my story Drinking Vodka in the Afternoon, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2007 and 3rd prize winner in the 2008 Momaya Press short story competition.

january

I have had a poem accepted for the next issue of Alba, A Journal of Short Poetry.

I have been asked to take part in an event at the Wise Words festival in London on March 16th at 6.30pm, reading with such fabulous writers as Jay Merill, Elizabeth Baines, Sarah Salway, Susannah Rickards and Catherine Smith. More details here.

My short story, the Perfect Egg, is published in the 13 Jan issue of Nature. Read it here or download the PDF.


My first publication of the new year - a short story inspired by the discovery of Green Fluorescent Protein, We Are All Made of Protein But Some of Us Glow More Than Others, written as part of Comma Press' Eureka project. And, carrying on in the science-related vein, I have reviewed a collection of "laboratory fairy tales" for LabLit.

Also, booking is now open for Jewish Book Week and I will be running a flash fiction workshop there on Feb 28th, more details here.


2010

december

I have created a new section on my short stories page for my science-inspired fiction that's available online. Do check it out.

The British Society for Cell Biology's Science Writing Competition which I am honoured to be judging this year has extended the deadline to  31st january, so still time to get your entries in!

november


The White Road and Other Stories has received a very nice review in Flash magazine (print only).

Come celebrate the short story! I'm hosting an event in Bristol on Wed 24th, a celebration of the short story with readings by 12 local authors in honour of National Short Story Week! It will be in Blackwell's book shop, see here for more details. And then I will be taking part in the
Future of Science event at the Dana Centre, London, the next day, Thursday 25th.

I have been awarded a fellowship to the Hawthornden Castle writers' retreat for next summer.

I took part in the launch of the ShedFest anthology, raising money for the Pakistan Flood Appeal. Buy one here.

My story That Small Small Inch
has been shortlisted for PANK Magazine's 2011 1,001 Awesome Words contest and will be published in March 2011.

october

My story, The Family is published in Metazen.

You can hear me reading my story, Vegetable Mineral, in the new issue of the excellent audio magazine 4'33". My prose poem, A Scar Sits Above My Heart, is published by the Prose Poem Project

september

My flash story, The Family, has been accepted for publication by Metazen, and my prose poem, A Scar Sits Above My Heart, for the Winter issue of the Prose Poem Project.

I had a wonderful time at the Frank O'Connor Short Story Festival in Cork, ireland! I did a reading of several new flash stories and my "Irish" story, Drinking Vodka in the Afternoon, read flash fiction in support of Irish support of the arts, appeared on a panel discussing the Short Story and New Media (and saw a Kindle for the first time) and presented the Sean O'Faolain short story award to the winner. See my blog for the full results.

I judged, along with Sue Guiney and Brian Clegg, a wonderful science-inspired fiction and poetry open mic night at the British Science Festival. Thanks to all who came, congratulations to winner Heather Wastie!

My flash story, Vegetable Mineral, which was a finalist in PANK's first 1001 Awesome Words competition, is published in the September issue.

I
have a guest blog post up at Tomlit about how a writer needs to trust her reader, and I tell the "story" of How I Got Published on How Publishing Really Works, to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of The White Road and Other Stories.

11th
I read my shed story, Drizzling, and two new flash stories at the first ever ShedFest in Bristol!

1st I read at Word of Mouth, at the Thunderbolt pub, Bristol.

august

I have just turned my (non-complete) list of UK & Ireland lit mags that publish short stories - 115 so far! - into a PDF file. Download the list.

My flash story, Vegetable Mineral, has just been accepted by a new audio short story magazine, 4'33, and will be published in the next few months, read by me.


14th: I did a book signing at Blackwell bookshop, Bristol, Park Street.

The fruits of my first gig as Fiction Editor are now published in Southword Issue 18. Enjoy!

I have just incorporated TheWhiteRoadandOtherStories.com into this website instead of its own site. Visit the www.taniahershman.com/thewhiteroad section of the site to find out more about my short story collection - including excerpts and reviews - about flash fiction and about science-inspired fiction.

july


Arts Council Logo I have just received a grant from Arts Council England to write a collection of biology-inspired short stories inspired both by a 100-year-old biology book and by spending time in the labs as writer- in-residence in Bristol University's Science Faculty. I am now blogging on the brand new Science Faculty blog. Stop by to read my latest tales from the lab.

My story The Perfect Egg has been accepted for publication by Nature magazine for the Futures section, and my flash story, Einstein Plays Guitar, has been accepted for publication by A capella Zoo.

I am taking part in the Oxfam 24-hour Readathon at Oxfam Books, 91 Marylebone Hight Street, on July 5th. 

I am going to be on the Radio 4 program Off the Page on July 8th talking about science and about being writer in residence.

june


A week of my flash stories is being broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Reading, on Tues June 29th, Wed June 30th and Thurs July 1st, 3.30-3.45 pm UK time, and then available for 7 days afterwards online. One story is featured on Radio 4's Pick of the Week.

may

Two short short stories inspired by Elizabeth Bishop's poetry have just been published in Issue 4 of the Horizon Review.
A new review of The White Road and Other Stories,  is published in the Huffington Post as part of Short Story month.

The wonderful fundraising 100 Stories for Haiti is now available as an audiobook, with audio versions of 20 of the stories, including my story, Mugs. Available on Audible.com and iTunes. Get it now!


march

Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition, which I am judging, has just opened for entries (deadline July 31st). Click on the link for more about how to submit, and read my recent blog post for hints about the stories I love to read.

My Flickering Self
is published in Contrary Magazine's Spring Issue.

Mugs is included in the wonderful 100 Stories for Haiti anthology, whose proceeds are donated to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Please buy a copy now and support the cause.

Think of Icebergs and London Park are published in Litro's March "Climate" issue.

feb

Two flash stories I wrote inspired by the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, She Herself Was Gone and Of Fish and Bread and Tea, have been accepted for the next issue of the Horizon Review.

Think of Icebergs and London Park have been accepted for Litro's March "Climate" issue.

Plaits has been accepted for Short Fuse's March 10th hair-themed reading event!

Exchange Rates, a play I adapted from my short story, won the Total Beast 6-minute play competition and was performed in London on 31st January 2010.



jan
I have recently posted a (non-complete) 2010 list of UK & Ireland lit mags that publish short stories on my blog. which may be of interest to short story writers.

I am the current Fiction Editor of Southword magazine, one of the judges for both the Bristol Short Story Prize and the Brit Writers' Awards. Click on the links for more about how to submit.

My Article on the joys of short stories, "Stopping to Smell the Miniature Roses" is published in Bellatrista.

Exchange Rates, a play I adapted from my short story, is a finalist in the Total Beast 6-minute play competition and will be performed, together with the other shortlisted entries, in London on 31st January 2010. For more details, click here 

events


2012


Jan
Guest writer, Arvon Foundation schools course

Feb teaching
Arvon Foundation schools course.

March 6th
, running seminar on science-inspired fiction, Northern Arts and Science Network, Leeds

March 28th reading at the Not The Oxford Literary Festival, Oxford

April Bright Ideas fellow, Genomics Forum, Edinburgh

April: running flash fiction workshop together with Vanessa Gebbie, for New Writing South. (more information soon)

May 7th: performing at Stand Up Tragedy, London

May 16th Judging  flash fiction slam, Oxford, in celebration of National Flash Fiction Day.

May 29th participating in panel discussion on short stories, Spread the Word, London.

Nov
Co-tutoring an
Arvon Foundation short story course with Adam Marek. Booking opens early 2012.


interviews

I have been interviewed by:
Winning Words
Cyprus Well
Ink Tears (including a video here)
LitRefs
Jen Campbell
Shortfire Press
Creative Choices
Thresholds Short Story Forum (live Q&A)
Smokelong Quarterly
The Jewish Chronicle
WriteWords
Nik Perring
WritingNeuroses
Normblog
Nicola Morgan
Andrew Philips

and by 11 blogs during my Virtual Book Tour 2008.
For information on the tour, click here.

I provide short story critiquing & editing through The Writers' Workshop.
Please contact them for more details.

book reviews

Short story collections I have recently reviewed for The Short Review:

Collected Stories by Carol Emshwiller

Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr

The Life and Memoirs of Dr Pi by Edgar Bayley

The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis

Selected Stories by Seán Ó Faoláin

Esther Stories by Peter Orner

Collected Stories by Janice Galloway

Davy Byrnes Stories

What Becomes by AL Kennedy







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