3 Minute Santas is back for its eighth exciting year!

It's time to submit your festive flash fiction to be played on Hannah’s Bookshelf this December!

Can you tell a festive story in just 3 minutes? Want to have your work played on the radio? This Christmas, I’m once again looking for festive (not necessarily Christmas) flash fiction from around the world for inclusion on Hannah’s Bookshelf, the weekly literature show on North Manchester FM.

On Saturday 14th December, I’ll be playing a selection of my favourite 3 Minute Santas on the show (broadcast on FM and on digital). Want to be part of it? Submit a recording via my website of your holiday-themed story (maximum 3 minutes) by midnight on Monday 2nd December.

All genres welcome – be they cosy, romantic, scary or sad. But ease off the swears – stories have to be radio friendly! All you need is a microphone and a story – the details of how to submit are on my website.

Please share this call with anyone who you think might be interested – I like to cast the net as wide as possible. My favourite 3 Minute Santas will be broadcast on Hannah’s Bookshelf at 2pm on Saturday 14th December, on digital radio and 106.6FM.

My Year in Books 2024: October

Well, I've not really improved my reading-for-fun streak this month. In my defence, I was really tied up with Halloween events this month, and I had a few books to read for review. I did start another novel, but I didn't finish it by the end of the month, so sadly today's post only has one title on it.

In case you're curious, here are my posts from the rest of the year so far: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September

Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram (2024)

I got this in my Abominable Books box this month, and I was so intrigued by the premise that I jumped straight in. The book is about a man called Vicken who is travelling on Montreal’s Metro with the intention of ending his own life. He reaches a station at the end of the line, only to discover that there’s no exit and no trains leaving from the platform. The building that Vicken finds himself in is a labyrinthine, impossible space that defies logic. I was drawn to this idea, as I do enjoy a bit of impossible architecture. Some of the descriptions of the Metro station are dizzying and utterly bizarre, so I wasn’t disappointed in that aspect at all. To be honest, I wasn’t disappointed by anything in the book, though it’s certainly not subtle. It’s told through first-person narration, so a lot of it is about Vicken describing his state of mind to the reader. The subway station is a pretty obvious metaphor, though there are times when Vicken denies this is the case. However, the nature of the metaphor is a bit more elusive than you might expect, and there are certainly moments that will give the reader pause. Ajram uses a narrative technique in the final section of the book that I really enjoyed (though I won’t say what it is, as I don’t want to spoil it). The book resists a trite or placatory conclusion, and that really worked for me. Enjoyed this one.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 25

Bit of a quieter day than yesterday! We have a lot of things planned for tomorrow, so today was mostly just about taking things easy and getting ready for the weekend.

Toffee Apple Cookies

A nice seasonal treat for a quiet day.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 24

Busy day today, because we had a big Halloween event on at work, and I was performing at it!

Pumpkin

There were some pumpkins left over from another event at work yesterday, so I was offered one to take home. Admittedly, we already have seven at home... but I just can't say no to a pumpkin.

A Nightmare on Nelson Street 2: Emmeline's Revenge

Tonight was the annual Halloween event at the Pankhurst Centre. I led a walk around Nelson Street (where the museum is located), telling stories of its history and the history of the infirmary that surrounds it. Then we returned to the museum, and I gave a talk entitled 'Suffragettes and Werewolves'. It was kinda weird, but also kinda nice, to return to female werewolves after so long. A bit like a homecoming.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 23

Today was a bit of a busy, but absolutely lovely, day of Halloween celebrations.

Bailey’s Wood Halloween Story Walk

This morning, I led a Halloween Story Walk for Friends of Bailey's Wood. The kids who came along were so creative and imaginative, looking for clues about the identity of the creature who lives in the woods. Ultimately, they concluded that there's maybe... just maybe... something wrong with the trees. Gulp.

Campfire Tales at Castlerea Care Home

I did my regular poetry and stories session with the residents at Castlerea Care Home this afternoon. On a whim, I thought we might honour the spooky season by telling scary stories. We lit a campfire, gathered round, and started telling stories. I told some of my favourite urban legends (The Killer on the Back Seat and The Vanishing Hitchhiker), and the housemates invented a story about a ghost in the care home. We also listened to some classic Halloween songs (although we had to temporarily turn off the campfire to do that).

Uchiki Kuri Squash Curry

Squash season continues with Uchiki Kuri!

31 Days of Halloween: Day 22

Another day of celebrating Halloween!

Halloween Cupcake

Nothing says Halloween more than a ghost cupcake.

J is for Jeepers Creepers

Carrying on our A-Z of Horror with Jeepers Creepers tonight.

K is for King Kong

And then back to a classic with King Kong. Not gonna lie... this was an odd double bill.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 21

Today was mostly about work meetings, so there wasn't any time for celebrations. I had to just grab little bits of seasonal joy when I could.

Mushrooms in the Park

One of my meetings was in the park, so at least I did find time for a bit of mushroom spotting.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 20

Today is a very special day in our calendar, a solemnly observed annual tradition.

Pumpkin Day!

That's right! It's Pumpkin Day! This is the day when we go to Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream and pick our pumpkin for the year. It's one of our favourite things to do at Halloween. Of course, I say pumpkin as if it's singular... this year, we ended up with seven (though four of them were tiny). And then we had pizza!

Spooky Scavenger Hunt

There was a Spooky Scavenger Hunt among the remains of the sunflower trail this year, so we had a little wander and spotted some mildly unsettling scarecrows.

Pumpkin Spice and Sunflower Ice Cream

Can't come to Dunham Massey Farm without having some ice cream. I got my usual Pumpkin Spice (of course), but this year I also had a scoop of Sunflower, which was gorgeous.

Apple Crumble

Rounded off the day with one of Rob's signature apple crumbles.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 19

It's Day 19 of our Halloween celebrations, and I had a couple of community events today (followed by a couple of horror films).

Pumpkin Earrings

Wearing my new pumpkin earrings today!

Late Autumn Walk in the Park

I led a Late Autumn Walk in the Park today for Friends of Crumpsall Park, talking about seasonal traditions, nature and folklore.

Samhain Walk in the Woods

And then straight after that, I headed to Blackley to lead a Samhain Walk in the Woods for Friends of Bailey's Wood, also talking about seasonal traditions, nature and folklore.

Black Forest Cake

Little afternoon snack after all the walking and talking.

Spaghetti Squash

Rob cooked our spaghetti squash for tea tonight. It was so good.

H is for Halloween

Carrying on with our A-Z of horror tonight, and the choice for H was a pretty obvious one!

I is for I Know What You Did Last Summer

And then a classic 90s slasher to complete our double bill.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 18

Another day of celebrating Halloween!

Spider Brooches

Getting ready for our Halloween/half term activity at work... making spider brooches!

Halloween Chocolate

Had a little bit of seasonal chocolate when I got home from work. This was part of a little bag of sweets my mum gave me at the beginning of the month.