Students of Warwick University’s acclaimed writing programme launch anthology

Agents, publishers, and editors are invited to join Warwick’s Writing students for their
anthology launch at Piccadilly Waterstones on the evening of Wednesday, the 12th of June.

Following tradition at the University of Warwick, the students of the esteemed MA in
Writing Programme have been working hard for the past eight months to publish an eclectic anthology of their work.

The anthology, Chimera, features work from 41 writers and includes a foreword from
award-winning poet, translator, and critic Michael Hulse.

Chimera, titled after the monster in Greek mythology, encompasses different styles and perspectives from local and international voices travelling across genres in fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

The launch will feature readings from 13 of the students, whose work includes:

• An extract from a fantasy novel, where a Warrior-Queen leads her army through the desert to meet a tribe.
• The opening of a horror novel centring around the haunted past of a childhood
  home, previously owned by a mysterious figure, Howard Pertman.
• An extract from a historical fiction duology telling the story of Cecily Neville, mother of Edward IV and Richard III.
• A novel exploring a Palestinian Christian family’s experience living under
  Bethlehem’s occupation during the early 2000s, from the viewpoint of a child.
• A poem that stands strong in the face of tragedy, telling of the poet’s experience
  losing a friend in the 2011 Norwegian massacre.
• Short stories that range from a humorous tale, to a classical horror story, to an
  intricate tale of unfinished business at the end of a life.

Nothing in the Rulebook’s Professor Wu said:

“At a time when the major publishing behemoths risk creating a homogenised culture where only the same books are published by the same small clique of authors, it is vitally important to support collective creative endeavours like the Warwick Writing Programme Anthology, which has consistently brought unique voices to the ongoing literary conversation – and provides a rare opportunity to discover new stories, characters and worlds, as well as the writers behind them.”

A literary invitation

Literary agents, editors, and publishers interested in attending the launch are welcome to register in advance by emailing Frances at projectmanagement.anthology19@gmail.com, as spots are limited. Limited copies of the anthology will be available at the launch.

Alternatively, copies are available in both physical and e-book versions on request.

The launch of Chimera will be at 6 pm on Wednesday 12 June at Waterstones, Piccadilly, London W1J 9HD.