Halloween arrived early at Leuphana this year – to be precise around the end of May. That is when best-selling Urban Fantasy writer Patricia Briggs conducted workshops and gave talks on vampires, werewolves, and the like. Interested? Don’t be afraid to watch!
The U.S. Embassy Literature Series at the English Theatre Berlin in cooperation with PalmArtPress presented Michael Lederer on February 11, 2014. In the following video, Lederer reads from his new novel Cadaqués and takes part in a discussion with moderator Dr. Herbert Grieshop. The story is set in a quaint fishing village along the Spanish/French border and depicts the lives of a group of hard-drinking writers and artists.
Michael Lederer is an American writer who lives in Berlin, Dubrovnik, and Cadaqués. His first novel, Cadaqués, was published in February 2014. He has just written his second novel, Don Quixote Saving America.
Regardless of the field, conferences come in all shapes and sizes. Some are forgotten quickly while others become engraved in one’s memory. The latter experiences are sometimes few and far between. The biennial International Short Story Conference in English – which brings together scholars, writers, and those in the publishing industry – might just fit the bill. This year’s conference was lucky number 13 and took place in Vienna from July 16–19. It was a place to discover young, talented voices, interact with established authors, and hear scholarly papers from colleagues all over the globe. I especially appreciated the anthology, Unbrading the short story, which allowed conference participants to familiarize themselves with 69 stories by writers-in-residence (ISBN: 13: 978–1497593992). This helped immensly with the selection of panels. Apart from listening to panel discussions, doing interviews, and participating in creative writing workshops with authors, for me, it was again a place to renew my first love: the short story.
When I entered a creative writing contest for non-native speakers of English, the 2014 Daniil Pashkoff Prize, I never imagined I would win 3rd prize in the category for “Prose — 20 and Over.” Participating in this contest has been an intriguing and challenging experience that has helped me to grow on a literary as well as on a personal level – an experience that I would recommend to any literary enthusiast out there. The next prize will be awarded in two years: A new contest, a new opportunity to become part of an inspiring and creative literary circle, and a new experience of creative story writing that I wouldn’t want to miss.
My short story “Coloured Desperation” tells of the struggles that a young mother experiences in the troubled relationship with her autistic son. Torn between her desire for a peaceful state of mind, her yearning for a better life, and her responsibilities as a caring mother, Libby is confronted with everyday challenges and a situation that might turn out to be the turning point in her life.
Interested? Click here to read the full story!
