I’ve been rather staccato on WordPress of late. Work and writing up the first project in my doctorate have crowded out anything more cultured, so it is with some relief that I can report my short story ‘Alder, Beech, Hawthorn and Hazel’ has been picked up and published by Writer’s Egg magazine.
‘Alder, Beech, Hawthorn and Hazel’ is an odd, dark little piece. It was one of those stories that a writer wants a good home for. It was with increasing despair then that I saw ABHH rejected by five separate lit mags and ignored by another two. This would normally be enough for me to send it to the beige desktop folder from whence no stories return, but this was one I couldn’t let go.
When I had just about given up hope, I received an acceptance from Writer’s Egg, a Bristol-based print magazine that won Winner of the Best Start-Up Magazine with South West England Prestige Awards 2020/21. I am delighted to feature of course, and it is a timely reminder for me that the distance between waste paper basket and magazine is not always so great.
*Thanks for reading, folks. Recent stories of mine include ‘Something Borrowed, Something New‘ and ‘The Inn at Lettaford‘.
Matthew Richardson is a writer of short stories. His work has featured in Gold Dust magazine, Literally Stories, Close to the Bone, McStorytellers, Penny Shorts, Soft Cartel, Whatever Keeps the Lights On, Flashback Fiction, Cafelit, Best MicroFiction 2021, Writer’s Egg, and Shooter magazine. He is a doctoral student at the University of Dundee, a lucky husband, and a proud father. He blogs at www.matthewjrichardson.com and tweets at https://twitter.com/mjrichardso0
Matthew Richardson 
Hi. I’ve been looking out for your posts and wondering. However, guessed you were busy with your PhD. Ah, Academia!
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Not the exclamation I’ve been using I assure you Goff! Great to be spending a bit more time on WP again.
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Cheers. 🙃
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congratulations, Matthew; persistence does pay off 🙂
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Cheers John, very much appreciated.
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I just had a look at the magazine: it looks exciting, infused with vigour and vision 🙂
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They’ve pulled together the content really well haven’t they? Being an editor for lit mags always seems like a daunting task. I think I’ll stick to submitting!
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wise choice 🙂
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Congratulations, Matthew! I’d guessed you must’ve been busy with weightier matters 🙂
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Thanks Chris – certainly less imaginative matters!
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Lovely news, Matthew. How nice that you found a worthy home for a piece that you feel strongly about—and just in time, apparently.
I have no idea how you juggle the disparate parts of your life. But I’m so pleased to see you back here with us.
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Thanks so much. Really glad it found a home!
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congratulations mate
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Thanks Peter. Much appreciated.
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