Farhana Shaikh 🍉
@farhanashaikh.bsky.social
360 followers 120 following 100 posts
✍️ Writer #Discoveries2023 📖 Publisher @DahliaBooks Editor @theasianwriter Writes, reads, eats 📚 Mainly posting #MondayBlues 📫
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farhanashaikh.bsky.social
Hello writers, readers and fellow Blue-skiers.
I've taken a leap and decided to post on here but for the sake of consistency and my sanity, I will post #MondayBlues 📫 each week. A top line round up of Dahlia Books news, #writing opportunities and advice.
a picture of a penguin with the word hello on it
Alt: a picture of a penguin with the word hello on it
media.tenor.com
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
bricklanebookshop.bsky.social
📚 @wasafirimag.bsky.social x Tagore’s Salon

Join us for Writing Through Pain: On Labour and Literature
with writers Dur e Aziz Amna & Farah Ali

Oct 15 | 7PM | Brick Lane Bookshop

A conversation on illness, survival, and the work of writing.
🎟️ bricklanebookshop.org/product/tago...
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
writingeastmidlands.com
🌿Do you want to encourage your young writer(s) to enter the Solstice Prize?

💡Struggling with where to start or how to encourage them?

We've created a FREE, downloadable pack full of prompts, writing exercises & an example lesson plan to help you spark their imaginations.

bit.ly/WEM_SOLSTICE
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
dustynewrose.bsky.social
My first collection of short stories is out this month (17 October) on @nightjarpress.bsky.social ! Very excited. And nervous. But mostly excited.
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
gwillow.me
In all seriousness, publishers are going to have to figure out how to market books in the post-social-media landscape. That should be an implicit part of their job. What authors/artists can do on their own is increasingly limited and siloed.
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
ninearchespress.bsky.social
Plan a Poetry Retreat Day at the Poetry Pharmacy in Shropshire, with Roz Goddard and Jane Commane guiding you through creative workshops and sharing poems. Be inspired.

Book your place for Sunday 2nd November here: t.co/wFoXmZ5kVD

@poetrypharmacy.bsky.social
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
jonathangibbs.bsky.social
More admin. I've updated the apersonalanthology.com website with Amanthi Harris's pick of and introduction to a dozen favourite short stories, including a pair of triple-decker linked story sets.

And featuring the Personal Anthology debut of:

Romesh Gunesekera

So congrats to him!
A Personal Anthology
Writers, critics and others dream-edit a personal anthology of their favourite short stories
apersonalanthology.com
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
mehdirhasan.bsky.social
Free Greta Thunberg and the rest of the illegally detained flotilla activists.
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
kitdewaal.com
I'll be at Birmingham Literature Festival on 11th October with some great names, brilliant writing workshops, events for children and much more.

Come if you can!

Link here www.birminghamliteraturefestival.org
Photo of Birmingham Literature Festival audience, young people, middle aged people and older people sitting in seats listening to an event.
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
premnsikka.bsky.social
‘Motherhood penalty’ costs women an average £65,618 in pay by time first child turns five.

This is followed by gender pay gap, pension gap, health gap; slow career progression, harassment and violence, unpaid carer work, retirement insecurity.

All women deserve justice.
‘Motherhood penalty’ costs women an average £65,618 in pay by time first child turns five
Women’s average monthly earnings fall by 42% compared with one year before birth, ONS study finds
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
jonathangibbs.bsky.social
I've just updated the apersonalanthology.com website with Deborah Tomkins @tomkinsdeb.bsky.social's selection of a dozen favourite short stories.

Featuring the Personal Anthology debut of:

Cath Barton @cathbwriter.bsky.social
Peter Hobbs
Mark Ralph-Bowman

So congrats to them!
A Personal Anthology
Writers, critics and others dream-edit a personal anthology of their favourite short stories
apersonalanthology.com
farhanashaikh.bsky.social
I was so pleased to include your story in the longlist, Victoria.
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
verbivorial.bsky.social
Was very happy to make the cut for the Leicester Writes anthology. Many thanks to @farhanashaikh.bsky.social and congratulations to all.
The cover of the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize anthology 2025 - gold text on a background of peacock feathers. Opening snippet of my story, ‘Experience’: When the Deputy Chief Constable, or Commissioner, or whoever he was, his uniform jacket heavy with medals, loops of braid at one shoulder, when he was reading his statement about the ‘incident’, a man in a dark grey suit and a pale lilac shirt briefly stepped into shot behind him, then stepped out again.
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
walterscottprize.bsky.social
#Writers, the Hilary Mantel Prize offers an exceptional new opportunity. The late author, who twice won the #WalterScottPrize, was committed to championing emerging talent, and the winner receives a cash award plus mentoring. Submissions are open through 31 December. See https://loom.ly/NFsTZjE
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
writersandartists.bsky.social
The Bloomsbury Mentorship Programme is open for applications until Friday 10th October! 📚 📚

Bloomsbury are looking for unpublished fiction writers from underrepresented backgrounds who want to develop their craft.

Find out more: https://bit.ly/3VKsoIW
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
writingeastmidlands.com
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR WRITER MENTORING 👉 bit.ly/WEMMENTOR

You've got one week to send in your extract, synopsis and answers for the chance to be one of eight mentees on our free writer development programme. Got some last-minute Q's? Make sure to get in touch via [email protected] ✉️
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
jenwithwords.bsky.social
Okay…*deep breath and sorry for awkward promotion things….*, my new flash fiction chapbook ‘Light Chemical Sea’ is coming Fall 2026 with Bull City Press. ✨⚗️🌊

Sign up for a one time email notification that will let you know when the book is released!

forms.gle/yJPmMGThEiDW...
'Light Chemical Sea' Notification Sign Up
Jenny Wong's latest chapbook ‘Light Chemical Sea’ will be out in Fall 2026 with Bull City Press. Sign up below to receive a one time email that will notify you when the book is released.
forms.gle
farhanashaikh.bsky.social
Thank you! I'm nearly there. I need to read it through it and make a few last edits. I'm pitching it as a retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in 1960s India.
farhanashaikh.bsky.social
Good luck! My goal is to finish my first novel and submit to beta readers for feedback.
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
carolahuttmann.bsky.social
#LAUNCHEDTODAY in honour of the 3rd anniversary of her death, #OTD 22 September 2022.

The #HilaryMantel #Prize for #DebutAuthors is open for submissions of #adultfiction until 31 December 2025.
amheath.com/hilary-mante...

#Writing #amwriting #Books #Fiction #WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity
farhanashaikh.bsky.social
Had the best weekend, surrounded by exceptional writers. Bravo to this year's Leicester Writes longlist. Keep writing and sending out your stories in the world. Their readings were fantastic, and a particular highlight of the day ✨️
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
writingeastmidlands.com
EAST MIDS WRITERS, APPLY HERE 👉 bit.ly/WEMMENTOR

For one year of FREE one-to-one mentoring from an established writer, masterclasses, peer networking meetings, tickets to The Writers' Conference 2027 and more.

Deadline: 9th October 2025 at 11.59 pm. It's time to launch your writing career!
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
bloomsburyacad.bsky.social
Not sure where to start with your academic book idea? 📚

The Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship offers a year of expert guidance to help you shape your work and prepare for publication.

Applications are now open, for the UK only.

🔗 https://bit.ly/4eb5r8F

@writersandartists.bsky.social
farhanashaikh.bsky.social
It was so lovely to meet you, Vicky. Looking forward to reading more of your work.
Reposted by Farhana Shaikh 🍉
vickygrut.bsky.social
A lovely day at the Dahlia Books / Leicester Writes event for Short Story September. Great to meet publisher, writer and short story powerhouse Farhana Shaikh, and to catch up with writer Laura Besley.