This month’s featured work is a contemporary haibun by Norman Smith. This Japanese form combines a brief prose piece with a haiku. The prose is usually simple, reflective, and focused on a moment, journey, or observation.  The haiku at the end deepens or contrasts with the prose rather than merely repeating it.

Norman said: “I capture fleeting thoughts and moments. This poem is about all of us and how we interact with art and music.”

He travels slowly to places that will inspire him. He started writing for his school magazine ‘The Retfordian’. Then, as a student, he wrote short stories in The Irish Mountaineering Club Magazine. While working in Japan, he became fascinated by the haiku; the short, intense poems still fill him with joy.

You can read the Haibun here.

It’s with great sadness that the group learned of the death of member Robert Hart on 17 August.

Robert was a huge presence within the group with his enthusiasm and skill as a writer. He will be greatly missed.

At the time of his death, Robert was working hard to complete his third novel, a supernatural thriller titled ‘The Dark Peak’ — despite his illness. His determination was both impressive and moving. Other members of the group are now working on a final edit of his work. Robert’s two previous novels, ‘Rebecca’s Secrets’ and ‘Twice Born,’ are available on Amazon. The link can be found on our publications page.’

Our story of the month is an extract from Peter Deacon’s latest novel ‘The Time of Falling Shadows.’ You can read the extract here.

Peter is the author of two novels that blend historical authenticity, suspense, and human drama. After senior roles in the Ministry of Defence and later building a successful business, he turned to fiction inspired by history, aviation, and intelligence operations.

A Chartered Engineer with a BSc in Electrical Engineering, Peter also holds an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University, where he studied under several distinguished authors.

His first novel, The Time Just Before, follows a Lancaster bomber pilot and his crew during the Second World War, recreating the tension, camaraderie, and ever-present danger faced by RAF Bomber Command crews on missions where survival was far from certain.

His second novel, The Long Double Cross, is a crime mystery filled with deception and unexpected twists that keep readers guessing until the final chapter.

The Time of Falling Shadows, continues the story of the Lancaster crew as they become involved in clandestine intelligence operations and hazardous special missions. Inspired by real wartime exploits, it will be published later this year. You can find details of all Peter’s published novels in our publications section here.

Many congratulations to Frank McMahon whose poetry was picked from a total entry field of over 10,000 to be Highly Commended in the Erbacce poetry competition. The Erbacce Press is based in Liverpool and the annual competition attracts entries from all over the world. Frank’s work was highly commended and four of his poems will be published in Journal 88 of Erbacce.

Frank McMahon, has just published his sixth volume of poems, telling the very human story of the last of the Stuart Monarchs.

“I must be ready / to play a part / I never thought to play /”

These  powerful poems tell the very human story of Queen Anne, the last of the Stuart Monarchs.

A family divided by religion, a happy marriage blighted by still-births, miscarriages, the premature deaths of children; navigating the overthrow of her father James the Second, becoming Queen, managing foreign wars, threats of Scottish Invasion and the bitter competing ambitions of competing political factions.

Threaded with the story of her crucial friendship with Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, this is a history of tragedy and triumph over considerable odds as she sought to unite a divided Nation.

Frank McMahon says, “Her story just grew on me and became a rich vein of poetic inspiration, not least because she was under-appreciated in her time and her contribution to the foundations of our constitutional monarchy have not, in my view, received the recognition it deserves.

“There is also a very local connection as ancestors of the Bathurst Family served in her household and provided friendship and support during these turbulent times.

But above all, it is a very personal and moving story.”

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