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We are delighted to share that Bloodlines by Sarah Wimbush has been shortlisted for the Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets 2020. 
In what was a record year for entries, Bloodlines was one of five pamphlets to make the shortlist.
The judges commented:
“Linguistically and formally inventive, Sarah Wimbush’s Bloodlines evokes the world of Gypsies and Travellers, a vital and intensively lived world at once harsh and earthy, exuberant and exotic. A plethora of voices punctuates the sequence as the reader is invited to connect imaginatively with customs, traditions and communities known at first hand by their chronicler and creator. This is an exciting debut pamphlet thrumming with humanity and with the mystery and joy of being alive.”
The full shortlist can be viewed on the Michael Marks Awards website. 
The winner will be announced in an online ceremony on Monday 14 December from 7:30pm. You can register to attend for FREE here. 

Kim Moore, author of The Art of Falling, has won the 2020 Ledbury Poetry Festival Poetry Competition with her poem ‘All Night A Bird’. 
On hearing the news Kim said: “I am writing this still not quite believing that I’ve won! It’s even more special that it’s the Ledbury Poetry Competition because the festival is so close to my heart, and has been so important to me over the years in my development as a poet.  To have Liz Berry, a poet I hugely admire pick this poem out of the thousands of entries still doesn’t feel quite real.  Thank you again to Ledbury and to Liz Berry for bringing some joy and light into my lockdown existence, which this week has been especially grim.”
Second place was awarded to Kizziah Burton with her poem ‘Cist’, and Felicity Sheehy placed third with her poem ‘The Shapeshifter’s Wife’.
See judge Liz Berry’s comments on this year’s entries on the Ledbury Poetry Festival website. 
Seren are delighted to be publishing Kim’s second collection All The Men I Never Married in October 2021. 

Congratulations to Robert Walton and Abeer Ameer on having their poems highly commended in the Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2020. 
This year’s competition was judged by Mark Doty and Mona Arshi, and the two make the list alongside 20 other poets.
Robert Walton’s highly commended entry is ‘Nature Table’ which features the same Mrs Jones who appears in several poems his collection Sax Burgular Blues. Abeer Ameer’s poem ‘The Reed Flute and I’ was called “a truly magical poem a pleasure to read and turns language into music” by Mona Arshi in her judges comments, and will be published in Abeer’s forthcoming Seren collection Inhale/Exile in February 2021. 
The winning poems were:
‘Entre-Deux-Mers, June’ – Amy Glynn’Filter Queen’ – Michael Lavers’Calf’ – Elizabeth Cook
Read the winning poems and full judges comments on coffeehousepoetry.org. 

Do you have a fiction or poetry lover in your life but you’re stuck for choice? Don’t worry, the Seren Mystery Book Bundles are back! 
This time of year is stressful enough already so why not take the pressure out of present buying and let us do the choosing (and the wrapping) for you.
Treat yourself or someone special to one of our Mystery Book Bundles for the fantastic price of only £9.99 and we’ll send you three books from our wide-ranging and wonderful list, beautifully gift-wrapped and ready to put under the tree. 
Choose from two varieties:
The Poetry Bundle –  a pretty package of three full poetry collections, ranging from exciting debuts to powerful works from established poets.
OR
The Fiction Bundle – an exciting selection of three fiction titles, from gripping literary novels to absorbing short stories.
The Mystery Bundles will be available on our website until the end of the year – while stocks last.

Saturday 7 November marks the centenary of Elaine Morgan. We celebrate with the publication of a brand new biography by Daryl Leeworthy: Elaine Morgan: A Life Behind the Screen.
Elaine Morgan (1920 – 2013) was a pioneer. Born into a working-class family, she was the first person from her school in Pontypridd to go to Oxford University. She went on to pursue multiple careers, first as an award-winning TV writer, then anthropologist, whilst maintaining a role in political activism throughout her life. 
Join us for the launch of this important new book on Wednesday 11 November from 7pm. Register for FREE via Eventbrite to hear author Daryl Leeworthy in conversation with Carolyn Hitt about the life and work of Elaine Morgan. Register. 
Read Daryl’s introduction to Elaine on our blog here. 
Elaine Morgan: A Life Behind the Screen is available on the Seren website: £9.99

To celebrate publication of The Stromness Dinner by Peter Benson we’re offering one lucky social media follower the chance to win an Orkney hamper from the Kirkness & Gorie Deli in Kirkwall. 
 
To enter, simply answer this question:
What additional ingredient did F. Marian McNeill include in her recipe for clapshot, the famous Orcadian dish of mashed turnip, potato, butter and seasoning?
 
Rules:
You must be following us on either Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
You must send your answer to [email protected].
 
Closing date: 30/11/2020

Jaki McCarrick, author of The Scattering, has recently had her short story ‘The Emperor of Russia’ shortlisted for the Writing.ie Short Story Competition, part of the An Post Irish Book Awards. 
Stories by Kit de Waal, Billy O’Calaghan, Dermot Bolger, Louise Kennedy and Caoillin Hughes are also on the list. 
Voting for the winners in all categories of the An Post Irish Book Awards is now open. You can read all the shortlisted stories on the writing.ie website and vote for your favourite here. 
Voting closes 6pm, 16th November
Category winners will be announced 25th November in a virtual ceremony on the An Post Irish Book Awards website. 
Good luck Jaki!
 

Yes you read that right, we’re already thinking about Christmas! We’re excited to announce the return of our annual Christmas Poetry Competition.
With only three months left until the big day, it’s time to put on your festive thinking caps and send in your best seasonal poems.
What’s the prize? The winning entry will be posted on the Seren blog as Friday Poem during December and you will also receive a Seren book bundle (your choice of fiction or poetry) and a small festive hamper.
How to enter? Upload your poem via our Google form as a Word Doc or PDF. The full rules, terms and conditions can be found at the top of the form.
Take me to the entry form. 
Closing date: 23:59PM, Sunday 15th November
Good luck!