I have emailed the chairperson of the Lichfield borough council diversity and inclusivity committee several times in respect of this matter. Each time, I have received a courteous reply. Each time, no action has been taken.
Jen was the first person I knew who caught the virus. Of course, that’s not strictly true. On my way to work that morning, I probably passed a couple of people in the street who had it, probably shared a tube carriage with some of the early victims. But Jen was the first person I know had it for sure.
She walked in the shop first thing in the morning right on cue, her perfume fighting against the smell of raw meat and sawdust. The butcher nodded to her before going over to the door, locking it and changing the sign to “Closed”. There probably wouldn’t be any customers for a while yet, but he didn’t want to take a chance.
It is evening. Kayleigh is sitting cross-legged on the edge of my sofa. She is watching my television. Her eyes are narrow slits. She is catlike. Kayleigh scoops salsa with nacho chips. I look up from the book that I am not really reading and I watch as a glob of tomato evades her fleshy lips. It explodes, fat and satisfied, onto the cream upholstery. To me, this happens in slow-motion.
As everyone knows, the French - God save them - have a tag for any “fascinatingly ugly” woman, and though no similar designation exists in our quainter English tongue, some comparable label might almost have been coined for the lady you are about to meet.
Knock knock ... trick or treat! This October, Liars' League brings you:
Fear. Loathing. Ghosts. Viruses. Blood. Butchers. Witches. Nameless ... THINGS. And perhaps most terrifyingly, lawyers.
Is your heart pounding yet? Ours are, because we've just lined up our October 11th fright-night, AKA Fear & Loathing, and not only are we reading The Dune, a BRAND NEW STORY by horrormeister STEPHEN KING (courtesy of Granta), we've also got five more nipple-tightening tales of terror for your pleasure and distress ...
Viral by Niall Boyce Kayleigh by Julie Mayhew Rare Meat by Jonathan Pinnock Mr & Mrs Melvyn Martyn by David Rees Something Wicked by Richard Smyth
Plus the usual book quiz, deals on wine, live nude dancing (all right, not that) and lots and lots of Hallowe'en sweeties - and all for just £5 on the door!
See you at The Phoenix, 37 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PP (2 min from Oxford Circus) at 7pm on Tuesday October 11th!
Longtime contributors Niall Boyce, Jonathan Pinnock & Richard Smyth all have books out which you'd be well advised to buy, then read, then buy for others. All genres are catered for, from novels (Niall's Veronica Britton) and short stories (Jonathan's Dot Dash) to nonfiction (Richard's Bumfodder)
KATY LIAR'S DEBUT NOVEL
Liar Katy Darby's debut novel, a Victorian drama called The Unpierced Heart (previously titled The Whores' Asylum) is now out in Penguin paperback. It's had nice reviews in The Independent on Sunday, Sunday Times & Metro (4*).
OUR INTERVIEW WITH ANNEXE MAG!
They came, they saw, they asked us a bunch of interesting questions. Interview by Nick of Annexe Magazine with Katy of LL: here
