Flash Frontier, Frankfurt, Two Kinds Of Monster, And The Octacon Reunion

 
I’ve decided this year that writing comes before blogging, and that, while I’ll always aim to put up one blog post per week, I may not always put up a second post.

That means that, when I do put up a second post, there will be lots to talk about – as there is today.

Flash Frontier

Michelle Elvy is a new – to me! – and energetic figure on the New Zealand literary scene, and I have enjoyed becoming involved in a couple of projects in which she is a prime mover.

Firstly, I have a story in the first issue of Flash Frontier. This is a new New Zealand literary magazine, edited by Michelle Elvy and Sian Williams, that specialises in flash fiction – very short fiction, which in the case of Flash Frontier means an upper limit of 250 words. I don’t often write flash fiction, but I can tell you that it is lots of fun to write, and that Flash Frontier is looking for more of it!

My story “The Beginnings of America” is one of 16 stories in the first issue, which also carries this interesting interview with Graeme Lay, who edited several NZ anthologies of short-short fiction.

Frankfurt

Another Michelle Elvy initiative, this time with Dorothee Lang, is the Frankfurt Book Fair 2012: An Aotearoa Affair – A Blog Fest from Kiel to Kaitaia.

It’s an excellent blog which brings together work from New Zealand and German writers, some translated, in the leadup to the Frankfurt Book Fair – and you can join the blog and get involved in its many projects.

I was very chuffed that my poem The Translator was selected as the first of the blog’s Weekly Highlights, and it has since been joined by work by Marcus Speh, Emma Barnes, and Patrizia Monzani, with more to follow!

Helen Lowe also mentions this Blog Fest on her blog – with good reason, as the German translation of her novel The Heir of Night is being published in 2012. Congratulations, Helen!

Two Kinds of Monster

The blog tour for my 2011 poetry collection Men Briefly Explained is not quite over yet! Bookiemonster has published a pair of interviews on her blog this week that form part of my and Keith Westwater’s blog tours:

Keith Westwater Interviews Tim Jones About Men Briefly Explained

Tim Jones Interviews Keith Westwater About Tongues Of Ash

The Octacon Reunion

In 1982, a science fiction convention was held in Dunedin that changed lives and changed underwear. It went down in history as Octacon, and now, thirty years later, those who experienced Octacon for the first time are condemned to relive every agonising moment. What’s more, it is even possible for others to join them in their communal madness. Look upon the mighty Octacon Reunion Poster, ye mortals, and despair! (Or, if your motto is ‘nil desperandum’, contact 2012octacon@gmail.com for further details.)

How To Buy My Books: Men Briefly Explained, Anarya’s Secret And More

 

Books

You can find details of all these books at my Amazon.com author page.

If you want a print copy and can’t find one, please email me.

Recent Anthologies

The Men Briefly Explained Blog Tour: First Interview Up

 
I’m going on a blog tour to promote my new poetry collection Men Briefly Explained.

What that means is that I will be visiting a series of blogs over the next few weeks to talk about Men Briefly Explained. As the interviews go up, I will be posting links to them here.

My first interview is with Australian poet PS Cottier, whom I will in turn be interviewing on my blog in a few weeks’ time.

Check out the interview here – and look out for new ones:

27 November 2011: Of Poems and Men: Interview with Tim Jones, by PS Cottier

What Readers Are Saying About “Men Briefly Explained”

 
Readers are saying some very nice things about my new poetry collection, Men Briefly Explained.

Here are three comments from people who have read the collection:

Tim, your book arrived this morning, and I’m having to FORCE myself to stop reading and get on with the work I need to do. I am especially moved right now by “The Problem of Descendants”. It’s a magnificent book. – Johanna Knox

By the time you reach the third age of man you want to turn to the toddler pages and live the whole book again – Rachel Fenton

By turns poignant, insightful and laugh-out-loud funny, Tim Jones brings his trademark dry wit to a great new poetry collection. Thoroughly enjoyable! – Mary Victoria

This reviewer and this reviewer have said nice things, too.

We are approaching a time of the year when many people give gifts, so if you would like to buy a copy of Men Briefly Explained, here’s how to do it:

In Person

You can order Men Briefly Explained through your local bookshop. Please tell them the title, the author name, the publisher (IP/Interactive Press) and (just for good measure) the ISBN, which is 978-1-921-86932-7. They should have no problem getting hold of it.

Or – even simpler – just email me at senjmito@gmail.com and I will make sure you get a copy.

Online

Here you have a wide range of options:

Go on – you know you want to, and based on what other readers have said so far, you won’t regret buying a copy.