Lockdown spawns new anthology by local women writers

The writers of Women Aloud Northern Ireland – among them published authors, novelists, poets and broadcasters – are publishing an anthology of short stories and poems, some based on the theme of the virus that is keeping them indoors.

North Star was conceived by WANI chair, Larne woman Angeline King, who suggested members turn their quarantine time into a collective creative effort with a marketable product at the end.

Her fellow writers rummaged through their back catalogue of best prose and poems to produce a collection awash with various themes and issues.

Some even penned fresh pieces, reflecting the strange times of life during the coronavirus, like Kerry Buchanan’s The Drumlin’s Tale.

Angeline King, author of Snugville Street, explained: “North Star is all about being creative, keeping the mind busy, encouraging friendships forged through Women Aloud NI, and to continue the energetic collaborative spirit upon which WANI was founded in 2016, and which otherwise has been curtailed by the pandemic.

“'North Star – An Anthology of Literature by Northern Irish Women’ was born out of the wish to portray writers’ homeplaces: our villages, towns, counties, or wherever we have found ourselves firmly rooted at the moment. It is a theme many of our members often depict in their writing, so we already had a deep vault of material to mine.”

Not content with merely print, the group is also staging an online literary festival, bringing their sparkling storytelling to audiences they would usually be entertaining through workshops, readings and other events, were it not for the worldwide restrictions on their movements.

The Facebook Live Weekend Festival takes place this weekend using the social media platform’s live facility to bring a diverse programme of fiction, prose and poetry to audiences in their homes.

WANI member Vicky McFarland, also from Larne, suggested the festival as way of giving voice to the creativity simmering behind the scenes. “The festival gives us the chance to celebrate ourselves, to give our community something to look forward to and to fulfil some of our goals, by raising the profile of women writers living in and from Northern Ireland. It also gives us a chance to enjoy some great writing.”

North Star, due to be published by Leschenault Press, will be available online through a print-on-demand service, and through Gardners Books, from June 2020 to June 2021.

The Facebook Live Weekend Festival takes place this weekend, Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26 with members reading live at 11am, 3pm and 8.30pm both days.

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