(Earlier in August I was involved in a new anthology with had a release
gathering. I wrote a report in Swedish, which I now decided to translate to
include in my next EAPA zine. A fast translation - certainly far from perfect!
- with the help of first Google Translate and then some post-editing. Here it
is. --AE)
I arrived at 18 Holländar Street 18 rather spot on half past six, this sunny
August 8th. About 25 people had gathered for the release of the Short Story
Masters' new anthology Alla tiders brott ("Crimes of All Times", Apec
publisher). Five of the society's authors and contributors in the anthology
were there, as well as snacks (including cheese, chips, biscuits, sausages) and
drinks (red, white, soda) and a piano. Short Story Master Cecilia Wennerström
who claimed she couldn't play the piano played the piano with great skill.
Otherwise, her main instrument is the saxophone - we have been able to see her
earlier in Kurt Olsson's Ladies' Orchestra on TV.
The atmosphere was in good spirits. Oldtimer Genberg started and presented
the society and said a few words about all its ten members. The Short Story
Masters was founded in 2004 as a sort of continuation of the Association of
Criminal Authors In Stockholm, which folded after several members died. Kjell
also presented a nice brochure about the Short Story Masters, with pictures of
the present and former members and a page with 20 of our anthologies covers.
(The new one is our 30th.)
The whole thing felt a little solemn, since the Crimes of All Times of All
Times is just the second anthology with new Swedish short stories this far
2018! All five authors and society members present held a short speech during
the evening.
Before the book release, a press release was issued to Stockholm media
(newspaper's cultural pages, radio/ TV programs, some book bloggers, etc - see
Appendix 1) and I had prior to this checked anthologies published via the City
Library database. The thing is that anthologies are very rare! Well, now we'll
have at least another anthology with new Swedish short stories. The one before
our was one from the Workers' Writers society. Before this we had publisher
Bonniers big historically oriented anthology and an anthology with translated
stories.
But despite how exclusive our anthology was the PR efforts met with compact
silence. No muckracking hack had bothered. Perhaps many were on summer vacation
in some /s/t/i/n/k/i/n/g perfumed /h/o/l/e luxury hotel suite? However, the
book had just received a couple of pretty positive reviews, on the net anyway.
Cecilia played a nice little melody between all the speeches. She was Uno
Wela since half Duo Wela couldn't come due to illness. The name "Wela" is from
her publish house, who has published the majority of Short Story Master' this
far 30 anthologies, these days mostly in E-form.
The next speaker to execution was the society chairman Helena Sigander. It
was in a locality in her building we had gathered and she had done most of the
practical preparations, together with daughter and grandchild. She told us how
she started to write short stories by winning a nice laptop computer in a story
competition in the early 1990s (she has also written novels, radio plays, etc).
She thought she should read her story from the anthology, but she had barely
started before she went off track around a writers' tour in the province of
Hälsingland she had been on. Between the anecdotes she did several attempts to
re-start reading but finally saw her watch and with regret noted that her
allotted time was up... A nice and tongue-in-cheek talk.
Ulf Broberg began his slot on the guillotine surprisingly enough with
singing. Then he began to tell about his experiences of the police, mainly
Uppsala's blue boys. He elaborated, for example, on the terrible "honour
killing" - no honour in it! - on Fadime (well-known story in Sweden). There
were many insights about the police conveyed and the audience seemed to greatly
appreciate what he said. He also said that he does not really write short
stories, but novels, and his short stories are simply "short novels".
After non-piano-player Cecilia once more proved her incompetence on the piano
lacking, it was my turn to feel the rope around my neck. In addition to
presenting me and my stories in the book (I had two), as well as saying
something about the advantages of short stories in general, I presented my
scheme for short story writing, which I a few years earlier also had forced
upon the audience of book days in the city of Söderhamn. Helena had said I had
a 4 minutes time slot, but everyone spoke longer so I extended to maybe 7-8
minutes. I had improvised a handwritten mini poster with my key messages, which
I put up on the piano and had short speech notes in my mobile (which I add as
Appendix 2), to which I of course made many additions and deviations. The
mobile was otherwise used to hover around and take photos.
After she who-could-not-play-the-piano again once again turned out some
beautiful sounds it was time for Cecilia Wennerström herself to endure the
poisoned needle. She said she had not written so many short stories, but for
example a fantasy trilogy. She's mainly a musician, and publisher. But her
contribution in Crimes of All Times was something extraordinary, the best short
story she had ever put together, she thought. It was based on her winning
contribution in an earlier 100-word competition. It a science fiction story
about aliens coming to Earth to apparently serve humanity, but secretly plots
more sinister plans. Good story lines was important to her, a story must lead
somewhere. She also meant that when she writes long, windy sentences, it is
because her sense of music and rhythm. (But facing the music, Cecilia, we do
also find short sentences in your writing.)
Kjell concluded with thanking everyone. In fact, the hall had been almost
full. Your reporter himself during the evening - when I didn't sneak around to
take pictures - had another another writer at the table, one Maria G (who
writes thriller novels) and her American partner, whose name I managed to
displace. The latter told him that he now has the right inspiration to start
writing himself: "There's so much I want to say now when Trump has become
president ..."
We present Short Story Masters got to sign our book. I did about half a dozen
books. I have not signed books since my collection of Murder on the Moon was
out years ago. But you should see Björn Hellberg - former member of the Short
Story Masters, by the way! - in the summer every year. He goes around the
country and signs his books everywhere. He must have haunted hundreds of
bookstores, malls, book cafes, libraries, etc. There has been a television
report about Hellberg's book signing craze.
I also talked to the publisher Ali C, who was there. Among other things, I
tried to tell him what a good deed it is to publish an anthology. Such things
as new Swedish short story anthologies are rare. The few that come eaqch year
are mainly from small publishers. There should be more anthologies, and why not
a proper short story magazine!
Before TV, comics and pop music came and ruined everything, there were many
Swedish short story magazines, and stories in the weeklies. And anthologies
have proved very popular in the English-language book world. When will Swedish
publishers rediscover short stories and anthologies?
The book release can't get anything but the highest marks! It should only
have lasted a little bit longer than to nine o'clock. After that we put chairs
and tables back to their original positions and I got a bag og crisps that
hadn't been used.
Good short stories should end with a conflict resolution or a twist end. But
it is not necessary for an event report. So I'll Stop Here .
-- Ahrvid Engholm
Notes: The Short Story Masters will have a table at Drottninggatan's Book Day
Aug 19, where Crimes of All Times can be purchased. There will also be a book
presentation at the Star Hotel in Sollentuna September 6th as well as in
November for the Deckarvännerna ("Crime Fiction Friends") society.
The Short Story Masters society has earlier made the anthology Crime the
Swedish Way in English, which was published for the 2008 Bouchercon. See
http://www.dast.nu/notis/svenska-deckarnoveller-pa-engelska
-----
Appendix 1: PRESS RELEASE
Welcome to a book release, where...
THE SHORT STORY MASTERS GIVE NEW LIFE TO THE ANTHOLOGY GENRE
The anthology is an amazing invention. When many writers offer their best
stories in one and the same volume, unusual width and excitement is created.
Even so, anthologies have fallen into backwaters. *
The Short Story Masters Society now remedies this with its new original
anthology Crimes of All Times (Apec, Publishing, 2018). You are promised a
breathtaking odyssey from Viking times to the far future!
Welcome to a book release Wednesday 8 August, at 18.30, 18 Holländar Street
18, Stockholm. In addition to some wine and snacks, you'll hear about short
story writing, hbout the Short Story Masters' History, and enjoy musical
entertainment by Duo Wela. The anthology and several of the authors are of
course there.
The Short Story Masters society was formed in 2004 by Olov Svedelid, Kjell E
Genberg, Ulf Durling and Bertil Falk. Current chairman Helena Sigander can
provide more information, tel. 0720 xx xx xx xx (and please notify if you
intend to come).
See also www.novellmastarna.se.
* The City Library of Stockholm has so far in 2018 registered Swedish three
fiction anthologies, but only ONE with new Swedish short stories (not counting
ours). That can be compared to 820 novels in Swedish during the same time.
----- Appendix 2: AE's notes for his book release talk
First stories in fanzines 1978, in JVM 1984, since then countless in
newspapers, many anthologies, culture magazines, colleciton Murder on the Moon.
Runs SKRIVA ("To Write") list since 1997 with a short story competition since
2000. Specialty science fiction, crime fiction and humour. Stories in the
anthology are of a mixture all this, about Captain Dynamit, pastische of pulp
magazine hero from the 1930s/40s, but placed in Stockholm where he chases
Russian spies and Nazi agents.
Until the 60's there were several Swedish short story magazines, but they were
pushed out by television, comics, rock music, the "Svensktoppen" chart, etc.
Time for a comeback? The short story fits our stressed time. It's concentrated,
goes straight on, doesn't waste 600 pages. Can be read during short breaks or
when commuting to work. Good for beginner writers. Basic scheme:
Idea -> conflict -> plot -> beginning -> end -> middle
-> Idea
They are cheap, just an is not enough, but is a start.
-> Conflict
The idea is expressed in the form of a conflict, a problem that has to be
solved, an obstacle or a villain to overcome.
-> Plot
With the conflict is decided, the contour of the plot begins to emerge, but it
may require a lot of thinking. Plot-making in fiction is underappreciatd!
-> The beginning
The beginning is the most important. 1-2 paragraphs to catch the reader! And in
there you have to present main character, conflict, background, etc.
-> The end
Decide the end (but you don't have to write it yet), keep it in your head. It
is directional arrow for the whole short story!
-> Middle.
Then you fill the middle. Dialogue important. Cut unnecessary adjectives, words
and scenes. Vary the length of sentences. Jump between Show and Tell.
--
ahrvid@xxxxxxxxxxx / Follow @SFJournalen on Twitter for the latest news in
short form! / Gå med i SKRIVA, för författande, sf, fantasy, kultur
(skriva-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, subj: subscribe) och deltag i
FANTASTIKNOVELLTÄVLINGEN 2018, info http://ahrvid.bravejournal.com / Om Ahrvids ;
novellsamling Mord på månen: http://zenzat.wordpress.com/bocker C Fuglesang: ;
"stor förnöjelse...jättebra historier i mycket sannolik framtidsmiljö"! / Nu
som ljudbok: http://elib.se/ebook_detail.asp?id_type=ISBN&id‘86081462 / Läs ;
även AE i Novellmästarnas antologier http://www.novellmastarna.se/Oskuld.htm ;
och hans sf-fanhistoriska uppslagsverk Fandboken / YXSKAFTBUD, GE VÅR WCZONMÖ
IQ-HJÄLP! (DN NoN 00.02.07)
-----
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grundad 1997 * Info http://www.skriva.bravewriting.com eller skriva- ;
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