Imbolc Stories Wanted for Hannah's Bookshelf on North Manchester FM

Submit your seasonal flash fiction to be played on Hannah’s Bookshelf this February!

Can you tell a seasonal story in just 3 minutes? Want to have your work played on the radio? This month, I’m looking for seasonal (winter, Imbolc, Candlemas, Groundhog Day) flash fiction from around the world for inclusion on Hannah’s Bookshelf, the weekly literature show on North Manchester FM.

On Saturday 1st February, I’ll be hosting the Hannah’s Bookshelf Imbolc Special, and as part of my seasonal special, I’ll be playing a selection of my favourite 3-minute stories on the show (broadcast on FM and on digital). Want to be part of it? Submit a recording of your seasonally inflected story (maximum 3 minutes) by midnight on Monday 27th January.

All genres welcome – be they cosy, romantic, scary or sad. The only rules are that stories must be your own original work, have some connection to the season, and be in English (the language of the broadcast). And please ease off the swears – stories have to be radio friendly! All you need is a microphone and a story – once you’re ready to submit your story, click on the ‘Start Recording’ button on my website to record your story and submit it. Remember to enter your name and email address when submitting your story.

If you aren’t able to submit via a recording and would like another method of taking part, please message via my website for more information.

Please share this call with anyone who you think might be interested – I’d like to cast the net as wide as possible. My favourite seasonal stories will be broadcast on the Hannah’s Bookshelf Imbolc Special at 2pm on Saturday 1st February, on digital radio and 106.6FM.

Countdown to Christmas: Day 14

Another day of celebrating the Countdown to Christmas in a little cottage in Cornwall! Today was just lovely (but I'm going to say that about every day we're here, aren't I?)

Lizard

It's the second day of our holiday!

Camomile and Green Tea Shower Steamer

Today, my shower was scented with camomile and green tea.

Christmas Pumpkin Soup

We've managed to acquire an accidental tradition! For the last two years, we've brought the last of the Halloween pumpkins (picked on our annual visit to Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream's Pumpkin Patch) to Cornwall with us, and I've made it into festive soup. Technically, it was a butternut squash this year, but the tradition is established now. I teamed the pumpkin with some Brussels sprouts and little pasta stars, so it was definitely Christmas soup! (It was very thick.)

Reindeer Cupcake

Little Christmas cupcake for after the soup.

Hannah’s Bookshelf 3 Minute Santas Special

Obviously, as I'm currently in Cornwall, today's episode of Hannah's Bookshelf on North Manchester FM was pre-recorded. It was the first of my festive specials for the year... 3 Minute Santas! I ask writers to submit festive short stories that last 3 minutes, and this year I had a record-breaking 23 stories on the show, all different genres and styles.

Walk to Church Cove

This afternoon, I went for a little walk along the coastal path from our cottage to Church Cove (just over a mile away). It's weird, but in all the years we've stayed here, I've never done this walk before as we normally head out in the opposite direction! It was gorgeous, particularly as I walked back in the twilight, listening to Christmas music.

Rovaniemi Virtual Walking Challenge

My walk along the coastal path added the last couple of miles to my festive Rovaniemi virtual walking challenge (from The Conqueror). When I logged my last distance, I got a postcard from Santa Claus Village and a finisher's certificate... and a medal to follow!

Gingerbread Chocolate Pots

We had Gingerbread Chocolate Pots tonight!

Rare Exports

Since I'd just completed my Rovaniemi virtual walking challenge, it seemed fitting to watch a Christmas film set in Lapland (the Land of the Northern Lights).

The Anti-Social Season

Tonight's Christmas reading was The Anti-Social Season by Adele Buck. Not my usual genre, but 'tis the season.

Advent Tea

Today's tea from my Bird and Blend advent calendar was Morning Kick.

Advent Model

And today's model from our other advent calendar was a little Christmas machine and chair!

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.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 26

Today was a very busy day, involving four different outfits and two different wigs. It was a good day.

Bailey’s Wood Litter-Pick

This morning started off with the monthly Friends of Bailey's Wood litter-pick. As is tradition, we dressed up for October litter-pick. And, as is also tradition, we (or maybe that should be I) tried to make our costumes as unsettling as possible.

Christmas Duck

One of the guys on the litter-pick presented me with a present this morning. He said, "I know you're into your ducks," and I think this is because my little Halloween ducks have been turning up at various events. Then he told me he'd found this one in his garden one day, and I could have it for when we start celebrating Christmas. I love my little garden duck!

Mouse and Chocolate Owls

A present from my mum!

Hannah’s Bookshelf Halloween Special

This afternoon was the annual Hannah's Bookshelf Halloween Special on North Manchester FM, featuring seasonal flash fiction from this year's 3 Minute Scares entries.

Abominable Books

Also on my radio show today, I opened my October box from the Abominable Book Club. I got Disturbance by Jenna Clake and Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram, plus a tote bag, popcorn and a few other treats.

Bailey’s Wood Horror Walk

Then it was to the woods for the Friends of Bailey's Wood evening event... Saturday the 26th - Horror in the Woods. I led some brave souls through the forest, telling stories of other realms, vengeful trees, and why you should never book a cabin in the woods on Airbnb.

L is for The Loved Ones

Back home, we continued our horror A-Z with The Loved Ones.

M is for The Menu

And then we rounded off the day with The Menu.

Events in October 2024

Park Write - Spooky Season
Saturday 12th October
2.00–5.00pm
Friends of Crumpsall Park
I'll be running a creative writing workshop in the park with a seasonal writing theme
Booking Link

Virtual Writing Retreat
Sunday 13th October
10.30–5.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf
I'm hosting an online writing retreat for creative writers with writing exercises and structured writing sessions
Members Event

Late Autumn Walk in the Park
Saturday 19th October
11.00–12noon
Friends of Crumpsall Park
I'll be leading a gentle, social walk in the park to enjoy the changing seasons
Booking Link

Samhain Walk in the Woods
Saturday 19th October
2.30–3.30pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a gentle, social walk in the woods to enjoy the changing seasons
Booking Link

Halloween Story Walk in the Woods
Wednesday 23rd October
11.00–12.00pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a fun, creative walk in the woods with a Halloween theme
Booking Link

A Nightmare on Nelson Street 2: Emmeline's Revenge
Thursday 26th October
6.30–8.30pm
Pankhurst Museum
I'll be leading a weird history walk along Nelson Street, before returning to the Pankhurst Centre for Halloween brews and tales suffragettes and werewolves
Booking Link

Hannah's Bookshelf Halloween Special
Saturday 26th October
2.00–4.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf / North Manchester FM
I'll be hosting the annual Halloween edition of my regular radio show on North Manchester FM, including 3 Minute Scares flash fiction
Submission Link

Saturday the 26th - Horror in the Woods!
Saturday 26th October
5.00–6.00pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a walk in the woods with unsettling tales of the forest
Booking Link

Ghost Stories Walk and Talk
Wednesday 30th October
11.00–12.30pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a gentle, social walk in the woods with some spooky stories
Booking Link

Halloween Film Afternoon
Wednesday 30th October
1.00–4.00pm
Castlerea House
I'll be hosting a Halloween film afternoon (with a bit of seasonal poetry) for residents at Castlerea care home
Private Event

Interested in booking me for an event? Click here to find out more.

3 Minute Scares is back for its ninth nailbiting year!

North Manchester FM’s Halloween creative writing competition is open for submissions for 2024.

Hannah's Bookshelf, the weekly literature show on North Manchester FM, wants your scary stories for Halloween! Once again, I'm asking people throughout Greater Manchester to submit their 3-minute stories for my annual creative writing competition. Writers keen to be crowned Greater Manchester’s Spookiest Wordsmith can submit a recording of their mini-tale via my website, with the best entries being broadcast on the Hannah’s Bookshelf Halloween Special on Saturday 26th October.

I'm delighted to announce that the prize for this year’s best entry is a fabulous Halloween book bundle (with a few little surprises). Entries need to be 3 minutes long, meaning a word count of around 350-400 words. The judges will be looking for style and originality, as well as how scary the story is. The deadline for entries is midnight on Wednesday 16th October.

All you need to enter the competition is a computer with a microphone… and a good story. Entries can be recorded via my website. More information and rules of the competition, including information for people unable to submit a recording, can also be found on my website.

Events in September 2024

Poetry at the Pank (Heritage Open Days event)
Friday 6th September
11.00–1.00pm
Pankhurst Museum
I'll be running a creative writing workshop as part of my role at the Pankhurst Museum
Booking Link

Poetry at the Pank (Heritage Open Days event)
Thursday 12th September
6.00–8.00pm
Pankhurst Museum
I'll be running a creative writing workshop as part of my role at the Pankhurst Museum
Booking Link

Robin Hood Walk in the Woods (Heritage Open Days event)
Saturday 14th September
11.00–12.00pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a fun, creative walk in the woods with a Robin Hood theme
Booking Link

Medieval Romance Walk in the Woods (Heritage Open Days event)
Saturday 14th September
6.00–7.00pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a walk in the woods with tales taken from medieval literature
Booking Link

Virtual Writing Retreat
Sunday 15th September
10.30–5.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf
I'm hosting an online writing retreat for creative writers with writing exercises and structured writing sessions
Members Event

Autumn Equinox Walk and Talk
Wednesday 18th September
11.00–12.30pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a gentle, social walk in the woods to enjoy the changing seasons
Booking Link

Autumn Equinox Poetry in the Park
Wednesday 18th September
2.00–5.00pm
Castlerea House
I'll be running a seasonal poetry and storytelling workshop session in the park for residents at Castlerea care home
Private Event

Autumn Equinox Walk in the Park
Saturday 21st September
11.00–12noon
Friends of Crumpsall Park
I'll be leading a gentle, social walk in the park to enjoy the changing seasons
Booking Link

Hannah's Bookshelf Autumn Equinox Special
Saturday 21st September
2.00–4.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf / North Manchester FM
I'll be hosting a special seasonal edition of my regular radio show on North Manchester FM, including Autumn Equinox-themed flash fiction
Submission Link

Autumn Equinox Walk in the Woods
Saturday 21st September
5.30–6.30pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a gentle, social walk in the woods to enjoy the changing seasons
Booking Link

Park Write - Autumn Writing
Saturday 28th September
2.00–5.00pm
Friends of Crumpsall Park
I'll be running a creative writing workshop in the park with a seasonal writing theme
Booking Link

Interested in booking me for an event? Click here to find out more.

Autumn Equinox Stories Wanted for Hannah’s Bookshelf on North Manchester FM

Submit your seasonal flash fiction to be played on Hannah’s Bookshelf this September!

Can you tell a seasonal story in just 3 minutes? Want to have your work played on the radio? This month, I’m looking for seasonal (Autumn, harvest festival) flash fiction from around the world for inclusion on Hannah’s Bookshelf, the weekly literature show on North Manchester FM.

On Saturday 21st September, I’ll be hosting the Hannah’s Bookshelf Autumn Equinox Special, and as part of my seasonal special, I’ll be playing a selection of my favourite 3-minute stories on the show (broadcast on FM and on digital). Want to be part of it? Submit a recording of your seasonally inflected story (maximum 3 minutes) by midnight on Monday 16th September.

All genres welcome – be they cosy, romantic, scary or sad. The only rules are that stories must be your own original work, have some connection to the season, and be in English (the language of the broadcast). And please ease off the swears – stories have to be radio friendly! All you need is a microphone and a story – once you’re ready to submit your story, click on the ‘Start Recording’ button on my website to record your story and submit it. Remember to enter your name and email address when submitting your story.

If you aren’t able to submit via a recording and would like another method of taking part, please message via my website for more information.

Please share this call with anyone who you think might be interested – I’d like to cast the net as wide as possible. My favourite seasonal stories will be broadcast on the Hannah’s Bookshelf Autumn Equinox Special at 2pm on Saturday 21st September, on digital radio and 106.6FM.

Lammas: Day 2

A bit more Lammas-y fun today, on the second day of our annual seasonal celebrations.

Breakfast in the Woods

Cinnamon swirl in Bailey's Wood for breakfast!

Litter-Pick in the Woods

It was the monthly Friends of Bailey's Wood litter-pick in the woods this morning. Not strictly speaking a seasonal thing, but I took the opportunity to enjoy the many late summer flowers (which are already attracting plenty of butterflies).

Hannah’s Bookshelf Lammas Special

This afternoon was the Hannah's Bookshelf Lammas Special on North Manchester FM. I played a few seasonal songs, and some Lammas-themed flash fiction from nine fantastic writers. And then we had scones and Welsh cakes at the studio to celebrate!

Events in July 2024

Park Write - Nature Writing
Saturday 20th July
2.00–5.00pm
Friends of Crumpsall Park
I'll be running a creative writing workshop in the park with a nature writing theme
Booking Link

Virtual Writing Retreat
Sunday 21st July
10.30–5.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf
I'm hosting an online writing retreat for creative writers with writing exercises and structured writing sessions
Members Event

Hannah's Bookshelf Lammas Special
Saturday 27th July
2.00–4.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf / North Manchester FM
I'm hosting a special seasonal edition of my regular radio show on North Manchester FM, including Summer Solstice-themed flash fiction
Submission Link

Late Summer Walk in the Park
Monday 29th July
6.00–7.00pm
Friends of Crumpsall Park
I'll be leading a sociable walk in the park to enjoy nature and the changing seasons
Booking Link

Lammas Walk in the Woods
Tuesday 30th July
6.30–7.30pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a sociable walk in the woods to enjoy the changing seasons
Booking Link

Lammas Stories
Wednesday 31st July
2.00–4.00pm
Castlerea House
I'm running a seasonal poetry and storytelling workshop session for residents at Castlerea care home
Private Event

Interested in booking me for an event? Click here to find out more.

Lammas Stories Wanted for Hannah’s Bookshelf on North Manchester FM

Submit your seasonal flash fiction to be played on Hannah’s Bookshelf this July!

Can you tell a seasonal story in just 3 minutes? Want to have your work played on the radio? This month, I’m looking for seasonal (Lammas, summer harvest) flash fiction from around the world for inclusion on Hannah’s Bookshelf, the weekly literature show on North Manchester FM.

On Saturday 27th July, I’ll be hosting the Hannah’s Bookshelf Lammas Special, and as part of my seasonal special, I’ll be playing a selection of my favourite 3-minute stories on the show (broadcast on FM and on digital). Want to be part of it? Submit a recording of your seasonally inflected story (maximum 3 minutes) by midnight on Monday 22nd July.

All genres welcome – be they cosy, romantic, scary or sad. The only rules are that stories must be your own original work, have some connection to the season, and be in English (the language of the broadcast). And please ease off the swears – stories have to be radio friendly! All you need is a microphone and a story – once you’re ready to submit your story, click on the ‘Start Recording’ button on my website to record your story and submit it. Remember to enter your name and email address when submitting your story.

If you aren’t able to submit via a recording and would like another method of taking part, please message via my website for more information.

Please share this call with anyone who you think might be interested – I’d like to cast the net as wide as possible. My favourite seasonal stories will be broadcast on the Hannah’s Bookshelf Lammas Special at 2pm on Saturday 27th July, on digital radio and 106.6FM.