All about CafeLit
CafeLit is the e-zine that supports the Creative Café
Project. The Creative Café Project looks at identifying cafés that support the
arts and encourages cafés in these endeavours. The e-zine helps to raise
awareness of the project and actually supports it financially. CafeLit is also
a platform for publishing short fiction.
Its unique selling point is that each story is associated with a drink
and each story would ideally be read in a coffee break.
The Best of CafeLit
Each year we also publish a book in paperback and Kindle from
the best stories produced the previous year. Debz Hobbs-Wyatt is currently the
editor of the e-zine She and I take it in turns making the selection each year
for the book. It was my turn when it came to The Best of CafeLit 3.
Old favourites and new voices
I really enjoyed making the selection last year. There was
some strong writing from both new and established writers and it was good to
come across so many old friends: Trevor Belshaw, Charlie Britten, PatsyCollins, Julie-Ann Corrigan, Susan Eames, Dawn Knox and Roger Noons. I was very
pleased to be able to select work submitted by some of my former students from
the University of Salford: James Foreman, Daniel Lamb and Olivia Smith. Also in the
mix are: Gail Aldwin, Lindsay Bamfield, Carol Bevitt, Margaret
Bulleyment, Janet Bunce, Steven Chapman, Jacki Donnellan, Tracy Fells, Jo Fino,
David Hook, Helen Laycock, Jenny Palmer, Elliott Sampford, Angela South, PaulaR C Readman and Betty Taylor. There is also one of Debz’s own stories in this
edition.
There was little editorial to do as the stories have already
been edited. It was just a matter of
turning them into something suitable for a paperback. I read them three times:
once to select, once as a copy edit before the books were camera ready and once
as a proof read after the files had been created. I was never bored. I’d even
say that I enjoyed reading all of the stories in the e-zine. We couldn’t select
them all, however – the book would become unwieldy. They’re still there for you
to enjoy on the web site.
Associated drinks
Writers can be very imaginative in the way they associate
drinks. We rarely get the same one
twice. Would you be tempted by these for this year’s selection? A shot of
something strong? A Strawberry Flapper? Cocoa in a Snoopy mug? Green Fairy
cocktail? Tizer cocktail?
“It’s choosing the drink
that’s the hardest part,” said one writer at our recent get-together in
London. Perhaps, but it’s important.
Would you like The Best of CafeLit 3 in a Creative café near you?
If you can point me in the direction of a new Creative Café
not already in the project, I’ll send a free copy to that café. Post a comment,
and then leave contact details of the café. The first three cafes to be
nominated will receive free copies.
Do enjoy the stories yourself – either in the e-book, the
paperback or just in the e-zine.
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