News for 2019
Peter is appearing at Ilkley Literary Festival, on 5 Oct, as part of a PYA presentation at the Fringe.
Following the AGM, Peter has won the Wainwright Trophy - basically the second prize.
And Writing magazine has accepted my story 'Scarecrow' in their June issue.
The story along with the judge's comments can be read here
Following the AGM, Peter has won the Wainwright Trophy - basically the second prize.
And Writing magazine has accepted my story 'Scarecrow' in their June issue.
The story along with the judge's comments can be read here
News for 2018
As nobody has shown an interest in publishing my novel 'Oiling The Wheels' I have placed it on Amazon Kindle so the readers can vote with their feet (or rather fingers on the keyboard)
It can be found here
Following the AGM, Peter has won the Writers Trophy for 2017.
This year so far has found Peter back at writing short stories and still trying to find a taker for his first novel'
Peter has had another story, Smoke and Mirrors, accepted by Writing Magazine in their November 2018 issue. The story won the first prize in the Crime Story Competition.
The story along with the judge's comments can be read here.
It can be found here
Following the AGM, Peter has won the Writers Trophy for 2017.
This year so far has found Peter back at writing short stories and still trying to find a taker for his first novel'
Peter has had another story, Smoke and Mirrors, accepted by Writing Magazine in their November 2018 issue. The story won the first prize in the Crime Story Competition.
The story along with the judge's comments can be read here.
News for 2017
Following the AGM, Peter has won the Writers Trophy for 2016.
This year has involved editing of the novel and trying to find a publisher or agent. So far no takers. But a sample of the novel can be read here.
As a result he has been neglecting his short story writing and sending his back catalogue off to magazines.
In the last few months this has been rectified and the fingers are speeding over the keys again, but so far none of the dwindling number of magazines has seen fit to accept any of the stories. Although he has had several shortlisted.
*** Breaking News ***
Peter has won first prize in the November Issue of Writing Magazine for his entry to the Unhappy Ending competition. His story 'Quarantine' along with the judges comments can be read here.
This year has involved editing of the novel and trying to find a publisher or agent. So far no takers. But a sample of the novel can be read here.
As a result he has been neglecting his short story writing and sending his back catalogue off to magazines.
In the last few months this has been rectified and the fingers are speeding over the keys again, but so far none of the dwindling number of magazines has seen fit to accept any of the stories. Although he has had several shortlisted.
*** Breaking News ***
Peter has won first prize in the November Issue of Writing Magazine for his entry to the Unhappy Ending competition. His story 'Quarantine' along with the judges comments can be read here.
News For 2016
Following the AGM, Peter has won the Wainwright Trophy - basically the second prize.
First Completed Novel - Oiling The Wheels
Peter has finished his novel 'Oiling The Wheels' and is waiting for another publisher to turn it down.
News for 2015
Following the AGM, Peter has won the Writers Trophy again for 2014
News for 2014
No Writers Trophy this year but:
Peter has won the Harrogate Writers' Circle microfiction (20 words) competition with-
Arrival - She stands amidst the station's swirling steam, still dressed in black. The unknown child that has now become my daughter.
And has won the Harrogate Writers' Circle short story competition with "Sands of Time" and the Pantomime competition with "Snow White and the Two Dwarves" and the poetry competition with "My Guide Dog is Colour Blind"
Peter has won the Harrogate Writers' Circle microfiction (20 words) competition with-
Arrival - She stands amidst the station's swirling steam, still dressed in black. The unknown child that has now become my daughter.
And has won the Harrogate Writers' Circle short story competition with "Sands of Time" and the Pantomime competition with "Snow White and the Two Dwarves" and the poetry competition with "My Guide Dog is Colour Blind"
The Harrogate Writers Circle Trophy
Following the 2013 AGM, Peter has been awarded the Harrogate Writers Circle Trophy for the third consecutive year - he was joint winner in 2011.
The trophy is awarded on the basis of points accrued for success in the Circle's competitions, both internal and external.
The trophy is awarded on the basis of points accrued for success in the Circle's competitions, both internal and external.
Internal Competition Success
Peter has come second in the Harrogate Writers' Circle short story competition on 23 May 2012, has won the 2012 Flash Fiction Competition on 18 July 2012 and has come joint first in the 3-minute play competition on 31 Oct 2012.
Go to this link to view the press reports for these competitions.
Go to this link to view the press reports for these competitions.
Peter has produced a new booklet
This booklet contains some more of Peter's published work, including the winning story in the 2010 Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival.
Other stories include A small boy trapped in a bombed out library as shells fall all around him, a cynical marketing ploy that goes very wrong, a legalised hit-man who longs for the old days, and a tribute to the author Kurt Vonnegut. It is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
Other stories include A small boy trapped in a bombed out library as shells fall all around him, a cynical marketing ploy that goes very wrong, a legalised hit-man who longs for the old days, and a tribute to the author Kurt Vonnegut. It is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
Peter has won the first prize in the short story competition organised by the "Harrogate Advertiser" and the "Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival" See the story below or read it on the Harrogate Advertiser web site by clicking here
A more readable version of the story
But is it Art?
"It’s amazing just how much mess a shotgun makes."
Graham looked at the splatter pattern on the wall, still dripping red onto the floor.
"So what do you think?"
Graham turned to his assistant, "And we clean this up every few hours and he does it again?"
Tarquin nodded, "That’s the idea. People seem to like it."
"And he uses a real shotgun?"
"It’s very authentic. Apart from the blood of course. He just blasts at a plastic bag full of red paint."
Graham closed his eyes.
Tarquin went on, "Look there are plenty of precedents. We even have a ‘Jackson Pollock’ hanging in the other gallery."
"I know about abstract art, but this is more .."
"It’s performance art. The people come to see him creating it, not just to view the final result."
"But the artist, he was convicted of armed robbery, you say."
Tarquin’s eyes twinkled, "That’s the beauty of it, gives the whole thing a lot of street cred. We’ve had some young visitors, people who’ve never been to a gallery before."
Graham was still a little jet lagged and was regretting leaving Tarquin in charge, "But this must be expensive to run, having to clean up. He can’t do that many performances a day. And I see you’ve dropped the entry charge"
"But the crowds have been huge. They enjoy the participation in the art."
Graham hardly dared ask, "What participation?"
"Ah, that’s the best bit. After he’s produced the splatter he threatens the crowd with the shotgun. They pay up and love it."
"I’m sorry, he commits armed robbery multiple times a day in our gallery?"
"As I said, it’s very authentic. He normally collects about five hundred a day. "
Tarquin looked at Graham’s reddening face then added, "And we get sixty-five percent."
"It’s amazing just how much mess a shotgun makes."
Graham looked at the splatter pattern on the wall, still dripping red onto the floor.
"So what do you think?"
Graham turned to his assistant, "And we clean this up every few hours and he does it again?"
Tarquin nodded, "That’s the idea. People seem to like it."
"And he uses a real shotgun?"
"It’s very authentic. Apart from the blood of course. He just blasts at a plastic bag full of red paint."
Graham closed his eyes.
Tarquin went on, "Look there are plenty of precedents. We even have a ‘Jackson Pollock’ hanging in the other gallery."
"I know about abstract art, but this is more .."
"It’s performance art. The people come to see him creating it, not just to view the final result."
"But the artist, he was convicted of armed robbery, you say."
Tarquin’s eyes twinkled, "That’s the beauty of it, gives the whole thing a lot of street cred. We’ve had some young visitors, people who’ve never been to a gallery before."
Graham was still a little jet lagged and was regretting leaving Tarquin in charge, "But this must be expensive to run, having to clean up. He can’t do that many performances a day. And I see you’ve dropped the entry charge"
"But the crowds have been huge. They enjoy the participation in the art."
Graham hardly dared ask, "What participation?"
"Ah, that’s the best bit. After he’s produced the splatter he threatens the crowd with the shotgun. They pay up and love it."
"I’m sorry, he commits armed robbery multiple times a day in our gallery?"
"As I said, it’s very authentic. He normally collects about five hundred a day. "
Tarquin looked at Graham’s reddening face then added, "And we get sixty-five percent."