Anthologies in 2023 with contributions by Deborah Swift @swiftstory #Anthology #HistoricalFiction #WW2 #Touch
ACTION THIS DAY I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to contribute to several anthologies over this year, so I thought I’d highlight them in a post. My story The Secret Listener is based on true events in WW2, where young men who were expert radio buffs were recruited to track and record suspect transmissions from within Britain – hoping to track down German spies. When seventeen-year-old radio fan Jim Bedford agrees to work as a Voluntary Interceptor, to track down Nazi spies, his girlfriend Shirley fears he is up to no good.
This story also appears in a second anthology also published by Aspects of History.
This selection of stories can be read on Kindle Unlimited, and I highly recommend them all.
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Also this year, after a long wait, The Art of Touch: Prose and Poetry from the Pandemic and Beyond has been released. In this anthology I contributed an article about touch in both the physical and emotional sense. In The Art of Touch: Prose and Poetry from the Pandemic and Beyond, the unique voices of thirty-nine of some of the most creative thinkers of our times have been brought together to consider the profound impact of one of our five main senses: touch.
Psychologists, healers, massage therapists, academics, creative writers, and others reflect on or tell personal stories about what it means to be able to touch or experience touch, or to have to go without it—as so many did and still do because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They explore how transmissions such as texting may impede opportunities for touch, while those like Zoom may make it possible for people who otherwise might be left behind to stay “in touch.” From the experience of touching beloved animals to the life-changing ways in which books and performances can touch us, virtually all aspects of touch are acknowledged in these pages.
Thirdly, I was invited to read, and then write an introduction to a compilation of historical stories based around the theme of Exile. The stories in this selection are all well-written and interesting and I recommend the stories, quite apart from my introduction, which you can read here.
HISTORICAL STORIES of EXILE by (in order of appearance)
Annie Whitehead, J.G. Harlond, Helen Hollick, Anna Belfrage, Elizabeth Chadwick, Loretta Livingstone, Elizabeth St.John, Alison Morton, Charlene Newcomb, Marian L Thorpe, Amy Maroney, Cathie Dunn and Cryssa Bazos
With an introduction by Deborah Swift.
Exile: a risky defiance, a perilous journey, a family’s tragic choice – or an individual’s final gamble to live. Exile: voluntary or enforced, a falling-out between friends, a lost first love, a prejudiced betrayal – or the only way to survive persecution?
In this historical fiction anthology thirteen authors (they are not superstitious!) have written exclusive short stories on the theme of exile. Some are based on true history, others are speculative fiction. All mine the depths of human emotions: fear, hope, love, and the fortitude to survive.
Join an inspiring Anglo-Saxon queen of Wales, a courageous Norwegian falconer, and a family fleeing back in time to escape the prospect of a ruthless future. Oppose the law with the legendary Doones of Exmoor, or defy the odds with two brave WWII exiles. Meet a Roman apprehensively planning exile to preserve the ‘old ways’, and a real Swedish prince forcibly expelled in heart-wrenching circumstances. Thrill to a story based on the legend of Robin Hood, sail with a queen of Cyprus determined to regain her rightful throne; escape religious persecution, discover the heart-rending truth behind the settlement of Massachusetts and experience the early years that would, eventually, lead to the founding of Normandy. Experience the stirring of first love, and as an exclusive treat special guest author, Elizabeth Chadwick, reveals a tale about the 12th-century’s heiress, Isabelle de Clare, and the Greatest Knight of all time – William Marshal.
With an introduction by multi-award-winning author Deborah Swift, enjoy these tales of exile across the ages. Some are hopeful, some sad, some romantic, some tragic, but all explore the indomitable spirit of resolute, unforgettable characters.
“Each [story] conjures up the times and characters excellently, and they are often glimpses into the authors’ other works. If you, like me, were drawn to this by a favourite name you will finish it with several more, and a much longer To Be Read List.” Reader’s Review (ARC edition)
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