Arachne Tenth Anniversary Sale – September

Posted on 01/09/2022 by Cherry Potts

We are celebrating our 10th anniversary by exploring our back catalogue and inviting you to do likewise with special offers on books celebrating their anniversaries in each month.

So for September we have a voucher, ARA10SEP, to get 50% off the following books, some of which are reduced already, so proper bargains!

: Mosaic of Air

: Weird Lies

: Vindication

London Lies our very first book and Liars’ League collaboration – stories about London, published 08/09/2012 here’s just one of the stories

Mosaic of Air short stories fantasy, history, science fiction, LGBT by Cherry Potts, published 26/09/2013

Weird Lies our third Liars’ League anthology science fiction, fantasy and the downright odd – also published 26/09/2013

Vindication poems from six women poets, published 27/09/2018 as part of our year of women celebration to mark the centenary of some women getting the vote (or regaining it, in some cases) in the UK.

All you need to do is use the code ARA10SEP at the check out when you buy any or all of these books – you can only use the code once, so we encourage you to buy in bulk!

Arachneversary Video 3: The Liars’ League books

Posted on 03/08/2020 by Cherry Potts

Arachne Editors Cherry Potts and Katy Darby talk about the Arachne Press/Liars’ League collaboration that led to London Lies, Lovers’ Lies, Weird Lies and We/She; favourite stories, and the Liars’ League selection process.

The sound isn’t great, but it’s worth persisting.

buy the early Liars’ books for £5

buy we/she for £1 off for the whole of August Just put in ARACHNEVERSARY at checkout to get your discount.

Join us tomorrow for Stations!

#Arachne5 Katy Darby proves prescience

Posted on 14/09/2017 by Cherry Potts

On to the just audio now, in our records of the anniversary party, having forgotten the spare battery for the camera (grr)

There is a tiny bit of video from Carrie Cohen:

Katy Darby reads Keep Calm and Carry On, from our very first book London Lies

In which the world goes to hell in a hand cart and there are no more Catherine Cookson novels…

#Arachne5 Thank you’s and Authors catch up London Lies

Posted on 05/09/2017 by Cherry Potts

With the 5th Anniversary celebrations heading into view I was thinking about the thank you speech, and like the Oscars it is in danger of going on, and on. And on. So I thought I’d blog it instead, a section at a time. So I’ve been catching up with authors past and present in the course of the fifth anniversary planning to ask what they are up to now, (not that I don’t know in some cases) because after all, without them there would BE no Arachne Press.

Several of them are reading at the party, come along and say hello, it’s free (but ticketed)

as they were…

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As they are now…

Alan McCormick

Cherry Potts Running Arachne gets in the way of much writing, but I’ve managed to squeeze a story into most of the anthologies, and publish a collection and a novel, and had several stories published elsewhere.

Clare Sandling
David Bausor
David Mildon

recently performed a new play, Leaves at the Edinburgh Fringe

Emily Cleaver
Emily Pedder I recently set up an editorial consultancy, The Book Edit offering editorial advice and developmental edits to writers of fiction and non-fiction.
Harry Whitehead
James Smyth
Jason Jackson
Joan Taylor-Rowan

Katy Darby

Laura Martz
Laura Williams

Liam Hogan My two stories published in London Lies in 2012 were my first to find their way into print, quite a lot has happened since! I’m now in over forty anthologies, ranging from Alice in Wonderland to Sci-Fi steampunk. Full list here I even snuck a story into NewCon Press’s Best of British Science Fiction 2016, and, of course, this year Arachne published my collection of twisted fantasy, Happy Ending Not Guaranteed. Here’s to what the next five years may bring!
Martin Pengelly
Nichol Wilmor

Rosalind Stopps
Simon Hodgson

#Arachne5 London Lies

Posted on 25/08/2017 by Cherry Potts

As part of the run up to our 5th anniversary we will be highlighting our first five books (Available for £5 from the shop.)

Also available to bona fide libraries and book charities free please contact us to enquire.

Starting with London Lies

Our very first book! We thought we’d be able to get it out in time for the Olympics (this was 2012) and sell thousands to tourists eager for something with London in the title (how naive we were). We managed to get the book out in time for the Paralympics but couldn’t persuade the bookshop at Stratford to stock it. We did all right though.

We launched London Lies at the London Review bookshop with readings from Carrie Cohen, Bertie Carvel, Danielle Fenemore, Greg Page and Phil Mulryne, the start of an ongoing and fruitful relationship with Carrie and Greg in particular – they are reading for us at Shoreham Word Festival in October!

: Phil Mulryne

: Danielle Fenemore

: Carrie Cohen

: Bertie Carvel

: Greg Page

: London Review Bookshop

From the mean streets of Hackney to sleepy South London suburbs, from boho Bloomsbury to City wine bars, London Lies is a tour of the capital as you’ve never seen it before. What happens when a girl on her way to work is propositioned by a frog? When a man breaks into London Zoo to fight a hippo? When nuclear bombs fall on a future London, when the rats rise up to rule us or – most terrifying of all – when Scrabble goes bad?

Watch Cherry Potts and Emily Cleaver talking about the inspiration behind their stories in London Lies

Londonist review ‘…nearly had us snivelling on a commuter train.’ ‘…each has a distinctive voice and a point to make. Perfect for reading in bite-sized chunks on the way around town.’

Sabotage Review ‘…this is one of the most enjoyable story collections I’ve had the pleasure of reading in several years.’ ‘…the consistently high quality of London Lies makes it difficult to review. Every time I have sat down to start writing, I’ve wanted to highlight different stories.’

Moving from 1930s Camden to a Royal Wedding “riot”, via football fights, office steeplechases and awkward dates in art galleries, London Lies is a bizarre, funny, moving and sometimes unnerving glimpse into the secret life of the city we all love and know … or do we?

Here’s just a taste of a cornucopia of readings from the book, by authors and actors.

Joan Taylor-Rowan Renewal clip

There are many more. shove London Lies video into the search at the top of the page to find them!

COME TO THE PARTY! 8th September, we will be reading from London Lies

Weird Lies WINS Saboteur2014 Award for BEST ANTHOLOGY

Posted on 01/06/2014 by Cherry Potts

I’m going to be spending the morning editing all references to the lovely Weird Lies on the website to AWARD WINNING Weird Lies, because, ladies, gentleman and aliens… WE WON!!

Our award, and the one won by our dear friends Liars’ League snuggle up for a proud photo.A Big thank you to Sabotage Reviews for their brilliant organisation and for their reviews, and for putting on the awards in the first place.

So what does it all mean, apart from the warm glow and the little star thingy and the aforementioned editing of the website?

It means that a lot of people like what we do – the award is by public vote (THANK YOU everyone who nominated and voted for us, you are lovely, lovely people).

It might mean it’s easier to get books into bookshops, and sold – you might think that creativity is its own reward, but we all need to eat.

It might mean we get more gigs for our readings – speaking of – TONIGHT you can hear lovely Liars’ League actors Tony Bell, Silas Hawkins, Carrie Cohen, Sean Patterson, Lisa Rose and Sarah Feathers reading from AWARD WINNING* Weird Lies, and it’s equally terrific stable fellow, Lovers’ Lies, at Misty Moon, where we will also be PREVIEWING the animated trailer (by upcoming animator Nick Page) for our next book, Devilskein & Dearlove. I will say nothing more, other than it’s ACE (Misty Moon aficionados, yes that is what I mean.)

(* wondering how long it will take to get bored with typing that)

It was an excellent event, which kept the energy going all afternoon and all evening, with live readings from all sorts of poets and authors, including London Lies author and Oxford local, Emily Cleaver.

A BIG thank you to everyone I forgot to thank last night, I hadn’t written a speech, so it was very off the cuff.

And a very big thank you to all the writers, in AWARD WINNING Weird Lies and all the other books, you are all brilliant.

And an especially big thank you to Alix, who turns out for almost every live event and does front-of-house so brilliantly. For someone who said she didn’t want to be involved, she does an epic amount, and it wouldn’t happen without her.

London Love and Strangeness at Peckham Literary Festival

Posted on 29/11/2013 by Cherry Potts

We had a capacity crowd at Review bookshop for our PLF event: here are some videos of the readings and an audio file of the Q&A.

Rhik Samadder reading David Bausor‘s O Happy Day: from London Lies, a tale of weddings, street parties and sausages.

Nicky Diss reading Rosalind Stopps‘ How to Survive the Olympics with a Broken Heart from Lovers’ Lies

and Peter Noble (who stepped in at the 11th hour for which we are VERY grateful) reading Alan Graham‘s Zwo from Weird Lies, a stroy of alienation and B-movies.

The Q&A features all the authors plus Cherry Potts and Katy Darby – editors of the anthologies, talking about writing for Liars’ League, having stories read aloud, arguing, editing, Liars’ League attempts to take over the world, and our massive ignorance on the short story scene in Canada!

Thanks to all our readers, authors, audience and especially Evie Wyld (who didn’t even get to hear the stories apart from the monster roars through the floor) and Review Bookshop for hosting.

Festive special on Lies

Posted on 16/11/2013 by Cherry Potts

Not only are Lies wonderful fun, they are even cheap for a limited period.

I noticed this morning that the earlier post about the special 3 for 2 offer on the three Liar’s League books was missing the link to the sales page. That is now corrected. Didn’t mean to tease you!

festive shopping special

Posted on 13/11/2013 by Cherry Potts

Yes it’s that time of year, when you start making lists, or not making lists, but quietly pretend it isn’t happening. But it is!

So to make life a little easier for you, if your list includes lots of bookish friends and relations, we are going to make you an offer: buy two of our Liars’ League books, (London Lies, Lovers’ Lies and Weird Lies) and get the third free! that’s £19.98 (plus £3 P&P in the UK) for 3 books.

Offer available until the last 2nd class parcel posting day before Christmas, Wednesday 18th 2013

make your purchase here

Peckham Literary Festival

Posted on 30/10/2013 by Cherry Potts

Arachne Press is delighted to announce that we are taking part in the Peckham Literary Festival: showcasing our three Liars’ League collaborations.

Thursday 28th November 2013 at 7pm

Review Bookshop 131 Bellenden Road, Peckham, SE15 4QY

Three booksThree stories Three authors and three actors

come together to introduce you to new worlds hiding in the everyday. From a movie monster convention in Berlin to a “riotous assembly” on Peckham Rye, via the twin heartbreaks of love and the Olympics, professional actors breathe life into short fiction from Arachne Press’s three acclaimed anthologies of Liars’ League stories. After the readings, there will be an informal Q&A with the writers, performers and editors (Cherry Potts and Katy Darby)