About author Ethel Stirman

Now retired, Ethel Stirman lives in the North East of England with her husband and close to her family. After a long and varied working career, she is pleased to be able to devote more time to writing and has begun to achieve some success, having short stories and poetry published. Recently, she was awarded third place in the 'Crossing the Tees' short story competition.

She is a member of Easington Writers and Hartlepool writers. 'Not a Minute on the Day' was her debut novel and is the first part of a trilogy focussing on life in a mining community in 1920's. Ethel Stirman's books are available on AMAZON worldwide.

Click on the images to find out more:

About author Quentin Cope

Hello, my name is Quentin Cope, and I am a writer with a love for storytelling and inspiring others through literature. With many years experience, I have established myself as a professional writer of novels and producer of writer's reference books. My journey as a writer began with a love for reading and an insatiable curiosity for the power of words. As I became fully engaged in the world of literature, I discovered my own unique writing style and a particular voice, which I have honed and developed over the years.

Click on the images to find out more:

About author Max Wrigley

Max Wrigley has studied for a Creative Writing and English Literature degree at the University of East Anglia (UEA). He has recently signed a deal for his début children's book, 'SAMMY THE SEAGULL'. This work has now been published; 2023. 

Click on the image to find out more:

About Anthology 2020

Anthology 2020 showcases an eclectic mix of original writing provided by participating members of the Hartlepool Writers Group (HWG). From Flash Fiction to Fantasy and Poetry to Romance, the author/contributors to this fascinating 2020 Anthology are proud to present a series of 'unadulerated' work where hopefully every reader will find some interesting if not absorbing subject matter.

We therefore hope you will enjoy this varied anthology, provided without the use of hard and brutal editing. The poetic words, heartfelt emotions, spirited actions and possibly amusing storylines that lay between the pages of this book are those provided by the contributors 'as written'.

Click on the image to find out more:

About Sea Tales

Sea Tales is a selection of short fiction and poetry inspired by the sea, written in the run up to the Tall Ships Festival in Hartlepool, July 2023. Published by Hartlepool Borough Libraries - Hartlepool Writers' Group. This anthogy is available, free to read on Borrowbox.

Click on the image to find out more:

The Amphibian Literary Journal

We welcome writers, poets and artists of all genders from all different backgrounds, we have a special love for the marginalized, the refugees, immigrants and the lost. Our main inspirations are the thoughts and impressions of people who write in English and live in two cultures at once. There is no limit on how you experience two cultures, it can be countries, gender, language, ancestors, neuro-divergence, any way that you experience your difference and explore it using the themes of the issues. For Poets – maximum three poems of any length, and for Writers: flash fiction, max 300 words and short stories max 2000. Artists please see the Artist's Submission Page for info. The Amphibian retains a zero tolerance policy to racism, bigotry, misogyny, transphobia, ableism, homophobia, hinduphobia, islamophobia, indigenous discrimination and anti-semitism, We aim to be a place of safety and healing. The next issue theme is Wildlife/Nature. We publish Bi-Annually Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter.

Click on the image to find out more:

Open Learn - Writing Course

START WRITING FICTION: Free Writing Course with Open Learn (Open University): Have you always wanted to write, but never quite had the courage to start? This free course, 'Start writing fiction', will give you an insight into how authors create their characters and settings. You will also be able to look at the different genres for fiction. Course learning outcomes: After studying this course, you should be able to: identify strengths and weaknesses as a writer of fiction, demonstrate a general awareness of fiction writing and discuss fiction using basic vocabulary.

Click on the image to find out more: