A Quick Reminder of the ‘Fergie’s Finest Competition

Just a quick reminder. Stretty News are running a competition at the moment to win one of three signed copies of my book, Fergie’s Finest. For full details, go here: http://strettynews.com/competition-united-are-back/ 

Book of the Month: ‘On The Floor’ by Aifric Campbell

My review of Aifric Campbell’s excellent On the Floor has been published on the New York Journal of Books website.

You can read the full review here: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/review/floor-novel

And here’s an extract:

“. . . a fascinating read—sometimes terrifying, often witty, always engagingly written.”

On the Floor is a confident, engaging, and incredibly readable debut novel from the author Aifric Campbell.

Recalling Bonfire of the Vanities and Wall Street, this is a work that throws us lock, stock, and barrel into the world of high finance. Banking is a world that Ms. Campbell shows to be amoral, macho, and often repulsive, and yet at the same time seductive, compulsive, and energetic (much like her novel).

Ms. Campbell’s stock is very high right now. She’s a graduate of the University of East Anglia’s renowned creative writing course—other notable alumni include Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan, Anne Enright, and James Scudamore. And On the Floor has already been longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction.

High Watermark: National Flash Fiction Day brings a Flood of new tales

Saturday 22nd June was NATIONAL FLASH FICTION DAY and to celebrate this momentous event, FlashFlood, an international flash-fiction journal, published over 140 new stories – at a rate of nearly one new story every ten minutes – on their blogsite throughout the day. It really was some feat. 

Each story weighs in at a snappy and bitesize 500 words or less, and there are loads of great flash tales to read on the site, including a tale by your humble narrator, ME. My piece, ‘The Editor’, entered the fray at 7.50pm (just after tea time, when a quick pick-me-up was needed) and you can read it here: http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/the-editor-by-aj-kirby.html

Also of particular note are the following stories, which come highly recommended by me:

‘The First Time I Was Married’ by Cassandra Parkin: http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/the-first-time-i-was-married-by.html

‘The Call to Adventure’ by Calum Kerr: http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/the-call-to-adventure-by-calum-kerr.html

‘Zumba’ by Tracy Kuhn: http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/zumba-by-tracy-kuhn.html

Super Soaraway Saturday Competition to win ‘Fergie’s Finest’ on the Stretty News United blogsite

Those good folk at Stretty News are running an ace new competition on their blogsite this weekend. The prize is to win one of three signed copies of my United book, ‘Fergie’s Finest’. You can enter the competition and find out further details by following this link: http://strettynews.com/competition-united-are-back/

Closing date is 13th July, so get your thinking caps on.

If you can’t wait that long, you can purchase a copy of the book in paperback, here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fergies-Finest-Alex-Fergusons-First/dp/1484960122/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1371824924&sr=1-1

Or in ebook format here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fergies-Finest-Fergusons-First-ebook/dp/B00CPPNTJ2/ref=sr_1_1/279-0893851-4554227?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371824924&sr=1-1&keywords=fergie%27s+finest

Shiny Kagawa: My new Republik of Mancunia Blog on the Japanese Star

I’m on the Republik of Mancunia blog again this week, this time providing a scouting report on Manchester United’s Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa, who has been starring in the Confederations Cup out in Brazil.

You can read the full blog here: http://therepublikofmancunia.com/kagawas-display-in-the-confederations-cup/

And here’s a brief snippet:

“Kagawa, along with his trusted lieutenants Honda (not the car) and Endo (not the BMX trick) was outstanding in what was a brave but ultimately futile display from Japan. I lost count of the number of times the commentators mentioned his name in the opening half-hour alone. He was to the fore as Japan dominated, racing into a 2-0 lead by the 33rd minute. And though the first was a rather debatable penalty – Buffon seemed to get to a woefully underhit backpass from the otherwise highly promising young Italy full-back De Sciglio fractionally before the Japanese forward – the second, scored by the ever-dynamic Kagawa, was up there with Neymar’s for watchability in this so-far excellent tournament.”

AJK on the Stretty News site: ‘Baptism of Fire – A look at United’s fixture list for 2013/14’

As the dust settles on the new fixture list for the 2013/14 Premier League season, I’m blogging on the Stretty News Manchester United blogsite on some early ball-buster games United have got lined up.

You can read the full blog here: http://strettynews.com/baptism-of-fire-a-look-at-uniteds-fixture-list-for-201314/

And here’s a very brief snippet:

“The Premier League fixture list for the forthcoming 2013-14 season was released this morning and the headline news surely has to be United’s opening five fixtures, which will be a baptism of fire for new supremo David Moyes.

The Red Devils face League Cup winners Swansea away on the opening weekend of the season (or, most likely on bloody Monday night once Sky get their teeth into the programme). The first game at Old Trafford will be even juicier for Sky. Indeed, it’s almost as though they’ve had a hand in writing the fixtures themselves… For United face the Jose Mourinho Bandwagon, also known as Chelsea. I imagine the marketing wallahs are already creaming themselves.

Things hardly get any easier in our third fixture: Liverpool. At Anfield. And we haven’t even got August out of the way yet. Moyes will be given some respite in our fourth tie – newly promoted Crystal Palace at home, after an international bloody break – but then comes arguably our toughest match of the season. On the weekend of 21st September, it’s the first Manchester derby.”

Coming Soon: ‘Deafening’ in the Story Song Press Anthology: ‘Song Stories Volume 2’

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve today signed a contract for my story ‘Deafening’ to appear in the Song Stories: Volume 2 anthology from Story Song Press (the image left is the cover of Volume 1).

You can find out more about Story Song Press by following this link. And watch this space for exact publication dates and purchase links.

New Short Story: ‘Death by Insurance Salesman’, in the new Sein und Werden mag

My new short story, ‘Death by Insurance Salesman’ features in the latest Sein und Werden magazine, which has a Not Quite Human theme.

You can read the full story here.

And you can read other great stories by some great writers (including Bob Lock, Gary Budgen, Allen Ashley, and B Drew Collier ) in the rest of the issue here.

‘Being & Becoming’ – Sein und Werden is a literary magazine of experimental prose, poetry and artwork that seeks to merge and modernise the ideas behind Expressionism, Surrealism and Existentialism.

And here’s a screenprint snippet of the story:

 

Congratulations to the ‘Fergie’s Finest’ Competition Winners

Congratulations to James Donnelly and Mark Piggot who won the recent ‘Fergie’s Finest’ Facebook competition and each won a signed copty of the book.

Like this page on Facebook to find out about more competitions and offers: https://www.facebook.com/FergiesFinestAJKirby #mufc

AJK/ Fergie’s Finest Feature in this Month’s Endeavour Press Newsletter

Yours truly features in the ‘Press’ Section of this month’s Endeavour Press newsletter.

 

 

Endeavour Press was the puiblisher of the ebook version of Fergie’s Finest and you can visit their website here: http://www.endeavourpress.com/

And you can purchase a copy of Fergie’s Finest here.