After over an year in production, ‘Short & Sweet’, Sri Lanka’s first hint fiction anthology is almost ready to hit the bookshelves in Sri Lanka, and online bookstores.
As noted in the original call for submissions on Groundviews in August 2012,
“But before form comes content. Twitter’s @sixwordstories demonstrates that even as little as six words is enough, in the hands of a vibrant imagination and creative word-weaver, to tell a good story.
Prospective writers should anchor their story (or stories) to something very Sri Lankan – a phrase, place, event, issue, marker, adage, trait, historical chapter, reference, image, dish, sweetmeat or map, for example. The idea is to evoke something of this country – something loved, reviled, longed for or missed… I sincerely hope the submissions, if they are good enough and make to print and the web, will introduce a new genre to Sri Lankan fiction and be a damn good read as well.”
Though originally conceived of as ‘Hint Fiction’, the book’s title had to be changed to ‘Short & Sweet’, a play on the old Sri Lankan adage. What necessitated the change is mentioned in the book’s introduction, and will be obvious when you read through it. Over 160 submissions from around 600 sent in were selected for publication, from authors as young as their late teens and well past their 80’s, from well-known Sri Lankan personalities to others writing in for the first time, in this format.
Though originally scheduled for the 17th, the book will now be launched on 24th January 2014 (Friday), from 5 – 8pm at the 80 Club, in Colombo (directions and location here, via Google Maps). There’s ample parking outside the 80 Club, and the launch will feature readings from the book by the Floating Space Theatre Company.
Details of the event, plus updates closer to the launch date, will be posted to Facebook and Google+, in addition to @groundviews.
Mark out the day in your calendars, and really hope to see you there.