Some notes on a couple of initiatives about which I’ve learnt recently, and which sound interesting:
Fiction Uncovered is a project being overseen by the literary consultant Sophie Rochester, which aims to highlight the work of writers who aren’t as well known as they ought to be. At its heart is a promotion in which a panel of judges will select eight UK-based authors whose work will be given a push next year; but, right now, the site is also hosting various recommendations of lesser-known books and writers. I’m sure we all have our lists of authors we wish were better known, so it’s very exciting to see something like this. Fiction Uncovered looks set to be an excellent resource; I look forward to discovering some new writers and seeing how the project develops.
Elsewhere, journalist Jeremy Carson has set up the Campaign for Real Books, whose stated aim is to help safeguard the future of printed books and independent booksellers in the digital age. Amongst other plans, they’ll be offering a discount card for independent bookshops. Although it’s very much in the early stages, the Campaign is a welcome initiative, and I’ll be following it with interest.
I thought I’d start doing a more detailed end-of-month post (partly modelled on what Jackie does at 
On to the year’s second issue of Black Static, and five new stories:
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