Peter Burns

My flash piece published by @JanusLiterary. On the @wigleaf top 50 longlist 2023, and previously nominated for Best Small Fictions 2023. janusliterary.com/2022/09/28/pet…

@MrsSOsbourne @goldenvoice Does anyone really care what Sharon Osborne says? Thankfully, we don't hear much of her spouting here in the UK!

Coachella 2025 will be remembered as a festival that compromised its moral and spiritual integrity. Goldenvoice, the festival organizer, facilitated this by allowing artists to use the Coachella stage as a platform for political expression. At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse. While festivals like Coachella showcase remarkable talent from around the globe, music's primary purpose is to unite people. It should not be a venue for promoting terrorist organizations or spreading hate. Green Day, a band I personally admire, chose to share their views on the Middle East during their Coachella performance. While I respect their right to express their opinions, such discussions would have been more appropriate at their own concert, not at a festival. Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements. Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organizations.  This behavior raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA. Reports indicate that Goldenvoice was unaware of Kneecap's political intentions when they were booked. However, after witnessing their performance during the first weekend, allowing them to perform again the following weekend suggests support of their rhetoric and a lack of due diligence. Scooter Braun, who has been involved in organizing the Nova Music Festival exhibit—a tribute to the victims of the October 7th attacks in Israel—has defended Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett as he attended the Nova Exhibit. If Tollett visited the Nova exhibit, he would have seen the portraits of every person that was killed that day and heard some of their voices on cell phone recordings, sent home to their loved ones. It is difficult to comprehend how if somebody saw this exhibit firsthand that they could book a band on their festival that is in support of what was done that day and supports the group responsible for this mass murder. Not one IDF solider was killed that day, just 1400 innocent civilians. Furthermore, the Independent Artists Group, which represents Kneecap, includes individuals of Jewish heritage. It is disheartening that they have not used their positions to prevent the promotion of such controversial messages. Shame on them. As someone with both Irish Catholic on my Mothers side  and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on my Fathers side, and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved. Goldenvoice's claim of being "blindsided" by Kneecap's performance seems implausible given the circumstances. I know for a fact that certain people in the industry had written to Goldenvoice, airing their concerns around the booking of Kneecap.  I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.

Just finished Only Here, Only Now by @tomnewlands_ What an incredible novel! Authentic characters and settings. Great writing, gritty yet lyrical. Although set in various Scottish locations, it really speaks universally to those living below the breadline. One for your TBR list

@kazbarwrites @BathFlashAward Congratulations Kathryn 👏

@theliterarypig @BathFlashAward Congratulations Tracey!

No email had arrived so thought I'd check the longlist as I love seeing all the titles ... then I squealed when I read my own on here!! I really needed some #writing good news this week & now I've made the @BathFlashAward anthology for the 28th Award. LitPig, get the biscuits🥳

@laurabesley @CrankedAnvil @lilysslave Congratulations Laura!

Happy that my story made it onto the @CrankedAnvil short list! Congratulations to winners Alison Wassel (@lilysslave) & James Hancock. TY to the Judging team for all your hard work behind the scenes. #fiction #flashfiction #amwriting #writingcommunity crankedanvil.co.uk/2024/10/22/aug…

@fionaemckayryan @BathFlashAward @kathyfish @FlashFicFest Congratulations Fiona!

Delighted to be on this list with something I started in @kathyfish workshop at this year’s @FlashFicFest Congratulations to all on the Longlist and hugs to all those whose stories didn’t make it (been there, know the feeling❤️)

@ek_macdonald Congratulations!

Woohoo! I'm over the moon to see my title included. Thank you

@NivenAudrey @BathFlashAward Congratulations Audrey!

@BathFlashAward Fab to be on the list - and in excellent company too!

Congratulations to all 50 writers on our 28th Award longlist! Confirmatory emails coming soon. And thank you to everyone who entered. Truly, so many very good stories to select from. #more-34186" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">bathflashfictionaward.com/2024/10/octobe…

@DublinWriter @BathFlashAward Congratulations!

Yay! At last! First time on the list and I couldn't be more chuffed. See some fab writers celebrating too 😀

@bdiggswrites Congratulations!

Super excited to see my story title on the LL! Good luck to everyone!

@AFB16 @BathFlashAward Congratulations!

So incredibly thrilled to be on this @BathFlashAward Longlist!!! Eeek! ❤️ Congrats to everyone here!

@LauraTapper93 Good to hear Dave enjoyed the book as well, you definitely need to read it, Laura. Hope you are all well x

Finished James by Percival Everett late last night, woke up with it being first thing on my mind this morning. It's been a while since a book had such an effect on me. Powerful story, beautiful writing, incredible characterisation. An important book that everyone should read!

Lovely to see my story 'Rex Nemorensis' on this list, alongside some great writers.

@MkenWrites @summer_moth Thank you for including my flash, very much appreciated 😊

This month's #Mondettes picked by the superlative @summer_moth Ten wonderful flash fictions Ten splashes of analysis Three brilliant prompts mondettes.substack.com/p/june-2024

'Our daughter is in hospital again, her fourth visit in two weeks. The doctors talk of transplants and transfusions, extreme solutions, percentage chances.' Devastating flash by @JoWithers2018

FlashFlood: 'Santa Cruz Island' by Allison Field Bell dlvr.it/T8KPqh #nffd2024

'“If I tell you something, you won’t put it in one of your stories, will you?” he asks. He’s taking a break from his addiction...' Powerful and poignant piece by @emilyrinkema

'The Minister of Loneliness isn’t taking appointments on the day the moon gets one too many depressions from space junk and marriage junk and work junk, and finally, falls into a lake. No one knows which one.' Wow! Love this flash from @amygcb

'the house has a smell that’s new to you, a scrofulous, dirty smell instead of the bitter onions you recall from silent childhood dinners – but the place is empty, cold, nothing cooked here in a while...'  Great storytelling here.