We are delighted to welcome Amanda Huggins to Maytree. Amanda will be releasing her delightfully titled debut collection of poetry, The Collective Nouns For Birds with us in February 2020.
The Collective Nouns For Birds is filled with glimpses of teenage dreams, lost loves, chance encounters and what-might-have-beens; a nostalgic journey through life’s quiet and pivotal moments. Frequently taking inspiration from the natural world, this collection of memories is often imbued with a melancholy longing or the search for reparation, yet also resonates with beauty and hope. Look out for more information in the new year.
The cover features the original painting, The Charm by Alice Parker. Alice is a Huddersfield based artist who specialises in creating stunning images from the natural world and we’re absolutely thrilled to have been able to work with her on this project.
About Amanda:
Amanda Huggins is the award-winning Yorkshire author of the short story collection, Separated From the Sea (Retreat West Books), which received a Special Mention in the 2019 Saboteur Awards.
She has also published a flash fiction collection, Brightly Coloured Horses (Chapeltown Books) and her short fiction and poetry has appeared in numerous anthologies, literary journals, newspapers and magazines. Her travel writing has won several awards, including the BGTW New Travel Writer of the Year in 2014, and her short stories and poetry are regularly placed and listed in competitions.
In 2018 she was awarded third prize in the Costa Short Story Award, was commended in the Bath and InkTears flash awards, shortlisted for the Walter Swan Poetry Prize, the Colm Toibin International Short Story Award and the Fish and Bridport prizes. Her poetry was also chosen for the Northern Poetry Library’s Poem of the North.
Amanda has had a number of poems published in anthologies – in 2018 these included Poems for the NHS (Onslaught Press), Words for the Wild (Charity Anthology for ADD Campaign), and Reflections (Cleckheaton Literature Festival Anthology). She also has a poem in the 2019 anthology, The Cotton Grass Appreciation Society.
Her new short story collection, Scratched Enamel Heart, will also be published next spring by Retreat West Books.
Join Us:
If you’d like to join our growing list of authors then please get in touch. We are proud to have an open door policy at Maytree and look forward to receiving your submissions. Whilst we can’t promise publication, we will always take time reviewing your submission and let you know the outcome in a timely manner.
The best way to find out what we do is to have a look at some of our previous publications. You can purchase directly from our on-line shop safely through our PayPal buttons where we are currently offering free postage. Alternatively head on over to Amazon or other major retailers.
Well done Amanda, it’s always a pleasure to hear of fellow artists being recognized for their work.