Showcase
The Literary Consultancy is excited to be working on an innovative showcase for its writing talent, initially in association with Staple Magazine. See TLC Showcase Introduction for more on the inception of the Showcase and please see below for where it is now.
Once a month we will highlight the work of one author whose work we believe deserves a platform, whether simply because our readers felt it worth championing, or whether we have helped the writer on to commercial publication.
If you enjoy reading our Showcase, please feel free to share, and let us know on Facebook or on Twitter.
Anna Lucia
“Each daybreak for a week, we crept out of our dark basement, towards the magic of the river. In my excitement to follow Elisabetta, I barely slept.
‘You look like a fish with your mouth open like that,’ barked Signora Rossi, exasperated by my constant yawning in class. The other children took to following me, pretending to swim with pouting mouths. For once, their taunting didn’t sting. After being called dumb for my many embarrassing mistakes, and giraffa, on account of my never-ending legs and long neck, ‘pesce’ seemed mild.
‘Ignore them,’ said Elisabetta, linking her arm in mine. They soon shied away when Elisabetta was around, not knowing how to be around the little girl with her otherworldly air, beloved of Sister Beatrice, and Signora Rossi’s star pupil. She was the only person ever with me.”
From ‘Broken Madonna– included in the showcase
Previous Showcase Authors
Louise Watts
“Soon after we got here we learnt the words for go away. There are two words for go away and one of them is stronger than the other. Also, we
Gayathiri Kamalakanthan
“You wake up and think of her. Try not to check your phone till you’ve had a cup of tea. A bowl of cereal. You tell yourself that having a
Patrick Holloway
“Back in the car you call your wife and imagine her sitting by the window of her hotel room looking out on the shitty weather, feeling shitty herself. She answers
Megan Davis
“The security guard grasped the dog’s lead and prepared for another sweep of the property. It was 5 a.m., the sky a wash of pale blue although the sun had
Khatijah Balu Showcase
“They decided he fell. It makes sense now. Walking to the school and seeing it from this distance shows how high that drop is. A four-storey, thirty-foot imaginary line runs
Tim Franks Showcase
“The central heating had reached lethargy point. Jamie’s eyelids were already sliding into several second blinks and he knew a television-induced semi-coma was imminent if he surrendered. But he would
Wendy Johnson
“The moon, heavy and brimming with light, casts a blueish hue over the fresh layer of snow. Hurriedly dressed for the journey, Richard huddles into his cloak. He’s unused to
Lerah Mae Barcenilla
“I will never stop believing in fairies but we don’t call them fairies where I’m from. We call them gods.” From ‘Selected Poems’– included in the showcase
Lisa Lintott
“KEN: Oh you do do you? (Frankie looks at him straight in the eyes and nods) But the rules are the rules and they say you need to be eleven
Mustafa Marwan
“The road snakes through caramel desert, from the rustic harbor to Aden’s only functioning hospital. The sun is yellow and white, shades of my headache. Seatbelt-free, the driver pushes the
Kyle Powell
“As we look at the state of play in the modern era, we still see persistent issues of racial discrimination. A good example of this is the Human Genome Project.
Elizabeth Lee
“Screaming, a sound to stop the heart and freeze the blood. Someone was in trouble. Daniel ran, afraid of what he would find but determined to save the poor creature
Suad Kamardeen
“Jamila presses the power button on her phone to silence the vibration from her mother’s call as she wheels her suitcase to the boarding queue. After a thirty-minute delay, they
Mark Blackburn
“It’s a very long time since I got the binoculars out and spotted a plane, but I still dream about them. Often. Not quite a recurring nightmare, but a recurring
Abu Leila
“When she had first met him, they had sung together. Their voices had fused into one, a full, complex voice. Only an expert ear could have told the different elements
Jessica Irena Smith
“What struck me most about the picture, though, was how happy they looked. Mom especially. I’d never seen her like this before, I realised – so carefree. It made me
PEN FACTOR SPECIAL – Winner Ptissem Abourachid
“I think God is trying to send me a sign, and I’d like to send it back. This is not what I prayed for. I asked for a soul-mate, not
Tim Stretton
“I’ve been in the underheated waiting room for nearly two hours. Standard institutional chic—puke-coloured lino, plastic wood chairs bolted to the floor, posters curling away from tatty pinboards, and a
Lucy Weldon
“The Lazy Susan is turning. Anneka watches. Guests’ fingertips spin it clockwise then anticlockwise, slowly, politely, waiting for each serving spoon to be placed back. The chicken satay Madura on
Zakia Carpenter-Hall
“As a child, I mixed up the words musician and magician. I couldn’t be sure which one relied on magic, which was mostly preparation. Which artist makes something appear from nothing, who
