Shwmae and Croeso!  

Croeso and welcome to an autumnal edition of the  Honno  newsletter! This month, we've got a special issue with in invitation to a book launch, a call for submissions for our latest anthology, writing opportunities, and more.

Book Launch: Painting the Beauty Queens Orange

Painting the Beauty Queens Orange is the latest release at  Honno . The ‘70s wasn’t all glam rock and flares, punk and pogo-ing… In  Painting the Beauty Queens Orange , the women who lived the decade reveal what it meant to push boundaries, claim your identity, and carve out your place amidst the winter of discontent, the scorching summer of ‘76 and the rise of Thatcherism. We're pleased to say that the book has been chosen as the  Waterstones Wales Book of the Month for November 2021 .

We're delighted to invite you to the book launch of  Painting the Beauty Queens Orange  on Saturday 13th November 2021 at Insole Court, Fairwater Road, Cardiff CF5 2LN from 2.30pm onwards. For more details, or to RSVP, please email  post@ honno .co.uk .

Ecology and the Environment: Writing from Women in Wales

It's the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow, also known as COP26. Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time,  especially given the vulnerability of Wales to climate change and rising sea levels .

Here are some books published by  Honno  that explore and highlight our environment, and the world around us.

Walking to Greenham

Walking to Greenham: How the Peace Campaign began and the Cold War ended  is a fascinating memoir written by peace activist Ann Pettitt. She began a movement that changed the face of modern history when she walked from Wales to RAF Greenham Airbase to stop nuclear warheads being launched from British soil. This is her story. A powerful and enlightening piece, its message is just as timely in contemporary discussions on environmentalism as when the campaign was initially launched.

Purchase a copy here from  Honno 's website

Riverflow

A mystery crime thriller,  Riverflow  by Alison Layland is about a series of mysterious events that emerge when a beloved family member is drowned in a devastating flood. Bede and Elin want to be left alone, but can they escape what has happened? Riverflow was the Waterstones Wales Book of the Month in 2019, and has been described by Emma Curtis as "Heart-stopping at moments. A terrific read".

Click here to see Riverflow in  Honno 's online shop, featuring a reader's guide that explains and explores the themes of flooding in the book.

Call for Submissions- Essays on Africa and Asia in Wales 

Honno  will be publishing a volume of work from women of the African and Asian diaspora in Wales. We want to hear from women with different experiences, whether that's the experience of being a first generation migrant to Wales, or part of a long-standing diaspora community in Wales. We're looking for memoirs, polemic writing, and more.

If you have a story to tell, we'd love to read it. We're accepting pieces from 1000-5000 words in total. Additionally, we'd relish the opportunity to consider some photo essays as part of this work. We believe that all women have stories to tell. It is so vitally important to include all voices, but in particular the voices of women, which through the centuries have always been some of those most marginalised.

The  Honno  Voices  imprint gives voice to Welsh women from all walks of life and who speak both or either language(s) – though the titles are published in English. It has published experiences of women from the 1900s to the present day, of women born and bred in Wales to those who have moved here and changed their lives. This book will be edited by Dr Faaeza Jasdanwalla, and it will be published by Gwasg  Honno  Press in 2023.

Please send your piece as an attachment, typed double spaced on one side of A4. Do make sure the title of your piece is included on the manuscript but leave off your name. Please include in your email any relevant supporting information.  For more information, click on this link.

Closing date: 31 March 2022

Submit to:  post@ honno .co.uk

Opportunities for Readers and Writers

Submissions at  Honno Press

Books Council Wales are looking for new volunteers to join their independent Publishing Development Subcommittees in both English and in Welsh. They're looking for people with experience and skills across the industry- from publishing books or magazines to reading, writing, editing, commissioning and marketing. Email castellbrychan@books.wales to apply.  There's more information available here on Twitter  and you can learn more by emailing the Chief Executive on castellbrychan@books.wales.

Representing Wales: Developing Writers from a Low-Income Background

Literature Wales has announced a second round of professional development aimed at developing writers in Wales . Representing Wales is open for applications, and it supports writers from low-income backgrounds in Wales. This support is multifacted, offering workshops, £3500 to assist writers in their craft, along with talks, mentoring, workshops and more. For more information, please email  post@literaturewales.org , and the deadline for applications is the 14th December 2021.