News

Back Seat Driver, is published in Wilson’s Tales of the Borders compendium of short stories – October.

The Wetland, is long listed for the Bridport short story prize – September.

James’s writing life is profiled in the June edition of the The Lewesian – June.

Fizz wins the 2024 Rooker Prize for the best opening to a novel – 27 April

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/football/james-scoops-lewes-fcs-rooker-prize-2024-4608869

https://lewesfc.com/news/the-rooker-prize-winner/

Join James for a reading and book signing at East Hoathly – 23 February.

No points for a heartfelt attachment (4) is published by Ad Hoc fiction in their anthology, ‘The Weather Where You Are. Join him at the book launch in Bath – 17 February.

Kumi’s Cake makes it to the  second round of the Austin (Texas) Film Festival – September.

No points for a heartfelt attachment (4) is short listed for the Bath Flash Fiction Award – June.

James is running the first all-day workshop under his Creative Writing Inspirations banner at the wonderful Wilderness Wood – January.

James is reading at the Needlewriters’ literary night at the John Harvey Tavern in Lewes on 14 April. Prose, poetry, pies and pints. Perfect – April.

A More Interesting Shape, is long listed for the DISQUIET literary contest. “The point-of-view in this story is what makes it both exciting and engaging: what the narrator observes and the meaning he makes of it. Its distinct sensibility makes the story both atmospheric and particular to a temporal experience.” – March.

Kumi’s Cake is showcased on Fairlight Books short stories portal – March.

Kumi’s Cake is shortlisted for the 2020 Bridport Prize International Short Story Competition – October.

Kumi’s Cake makes the top 50 from over 1100 entries for the Brick Lane Short Story Prize – July.

The artist Huy Truong renders this brilliant illustration of some of the characters from The Wrong Story (see right) – July.

Kumi’s Cake progresses to the second stage of the 2020 CRAFT Short Fiction prize – June.

As part of #LockdownLit, James releases a series of previously published short stories for free and to be shared – May.

The Happy Family book launch at Nomad Books in London is deferred until later in the year – COVID-19 permitting. James will be in conversation with Germaine Kiecke, the lead character in Happy Family – April.

Happy Family is going on a blog tour, visiting 10 bloggers between March 12 and 21 (see right) – March.

Happy Family is published by Unbound on Thursday, February 6 in Kindle and
paperback – February.

Connor and His Amazing Ejector Boots is nominated for the 2020 Pushcart Prize – October.

An Other’s Look has officially been retitled, Happy Family. It is now in it’s final proofread stage ready for publication early 2020 – September.

Connor and his Amazing Ejector Boots is published in the Future Shock short story anthology – September.

James interviews Keely Beresford actor, writer, director and narrator of audiobooks – July.

The Wrong Story is on the ‘recommended fiction’ shelves – June.

James joins Frome FM’s On-Air Book Group as a presenter – April.

Connor and his Amazing Ejector Boots is highly commended in the Retreat West Flash Fiction Prize – March.

James is the guest presenter on Frome FM’s On-Air Book Club talking about When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs; Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot; the first graphic novel to be shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Sabrina by Nick Drnaso; and The Watchmen by Alan Moore – March.

James stands in for Rupert Kirkham and presents the All About Frome show on Frome FM  on Tuesdays the 12th and 19th – February.

James’s article …Goldilocks pubs is published in The Gudgeon – February.

James is Frome FM’s guest interviewer on Rupert Kirkham’s show, All About Frome – January.

James’s article …West Barn volunteers is published in The Gudgeon – January.

Writing under the pen name, Oliver Billingsgate, James’s children’s story, Mr Frogg Goes To Work, is published on Amazon – December.

James’s article …a Christmas Carol is published in The Gudgeon – December.

James’s article …the canal is published in The Gudgeon – November.

James is guest speaker at Writing Event’s Bath creative writing workshop – November.

James’s article …the ark is published in The Gudgeon – October.

The Wrong Story is on sale at the Arnolfini bookshop in Bristol – October.

James is at Bristol Festival of Literature with United Authors presenting Crowdfunding: A Masterclass – October.

James’s article …Preserving the Past is published in The Gudgeon – September.

James is a guest speaker at Bath’s Writing Events creative writing session – September.

James is presenting Crowdfunding:  A Historical Device with a Modern Twist to the Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust – September.

James’s article …Divine Inspiration is published in The Gudgeon – August.

James’s article …Station Therapy is published in The Gudgeon – July.

James’s new company James Author Ellis Ltd is now registered and trading, providing content and copywriting services – June.

James reads Connor And His Amazing Ejector Boots at the Carers UK Poem-a-thon – June.

Speed Dating is published on the flash fiction website, 101 Words – June 2018

James’s article …Our Three Twins is published in The Gudgeon – June.

Murder Most Kind is published on the flash fiction website, 101 Words and in Ad Hoc Fiction, Issue 145 – May.

James is at the Brighton Fringe Wordstock event reading Early Days for Rattle Tales and an extract of The Wrong Story for the Unbound Authors event – May.

The Wrong Story is on a Blog Book Tour – May.

James’s article …Dog’s Life is published in The Gudgeon – May.

James is a guest on the Frome FM Book Club and talks about An Other’s Look and how he came to write it – April.

James presents a follow up to the novel writing workshop, called Keeping Going with Writing Events – April.

Early Days is published in the Rattle Tales Brighton Prize anthology – April.

James’s article …Crossing the Bridge is published in The Gudgeon – April.

The Beast is published in The British Fantasy Society’s latest publication, BFS Horizons #6 – March.

James presents two novel writing workshops with Writing Events – March.

James’s article …Swimming is published in The Gudgeon – March.

James signs the contract with Unbound to publish his second novel, An Other’s Look – February.

James is the guest speaker at the Writing Events Memoir workshop – February.

James is the subject of A Day In The Life… series in the local magazine, The Gudgeon – February.

James reads Early Days at the Carers UK creative writing celebration at The Roebuck in South-East London – November.

The Beast is highly commended in the British Fantasy Society Short Story Competition – October.

The prose version of Early Days is highly commended in the short story category of the Carers UK’s Creative Writing and Photography Competition 2017 – October.

James is the guest speaker at the Writing Events workshop, What Does an Editor Do? – July.

James reads Early Days at the Rattle Tales readings – June.

The Wrong Story is launched at Burley Fisher Books in London  – June.

Early Days is long listed by the BBC Writer’s room – April.

The Wrong Story is launched at Topping Books in Bath – April.

The Wrong Story is published by Unbound on Friday, March 17 in Kindle and
paperback – March.

James is the guest speaker at the Writing Events workshop, discussing crowdfunding – February.

James joins fiction writers Bette Adriaanse and James Benmore at Burley Fisher Bookshop on Kingsland Road in London to talk about their novels – October.

James joins fellow alumni and authors Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Bette Adriaanse and Chrissy Lee Jing-Jing for an evening of readings to Oxford University’s second-year MSt students – October.

The Wrong Story submitted to the Unbound editors – July.

The Therapist and The Fire Diver’s Assistant are published in the Rattle Tales 4 anthology – June.

The Wrong Story is 100% funded – May.

James’s article on crowdfunding is featured in Writers Reign magazine – April.

The Therapist is published in the Carers UK anthology: ‘No One Should Have To Care Alone’ – March.

The Fire Diver’s Assistant is published by the London Journal of Fiction – March.

The Wrong Story is accepted for publication, subject to crowdfunding – February.

James reads at The Brunswick in Brighton – February.

The Wrong Story is featured on Hookline Books ‘Discover New Writers’ page – January.

A Rare Bird is published by The Pygmy Giant – December.

The Therapist wins third place in the 2015 Carers UK creative writing competition – November.

James presents his paper on Muriel Spark and Flann O’Brien titled: Parallel Explorations of the Boundaries between Fiction and Real-life, at the International Flann O’Brien Society’s academic conference in Prague – September.

The Therapist is published by The Pygmy Giant – September.

James reads at the 2015 Brighton Fringe Festival for Rattle Tales – May.