Meeting writers on the page since 1996

Showcase

Carl El Khoury

“It happened in flashes like a sequence of snapshots in a stop motion film because my mind blinked several times; blink — two hands on my chest shoving me to the floor, blink — a kick so hard it made me howl in agony, blink — a fist like steel striking my cheek. And I didn’t hear Mum’s cries until gravity sealed my back to the marble tiles — coldness slithering through my skin — and Salim’s hands wreathed about my neck, my arms jolting from the floor and clasping his shoulders as I tried to knee him in the groin. It felt like wrestling a boulder — body crushing between ground and stone as I tried to gasp for air, Salim’s fingers sinking into my skin and Mum’s arms curling around Salim’s stomach as she tried to pull him away.”

From ‘Dishonouored’ – included in the showcase

“The book was written over the course of fifteen months. I’ve had the privilege – thanks to TLC – to undertake a mentorship program with award winning author Ray Robinson, who’s helped me transform a mediocre draft into a manuscript I could be proud of. My level of confidence in this story further increased after receiving a full assessment from a second editor, the incomparable Thalia Suzuma. I’m extremely grateful to both Ray and Thalia for their patience, their wisdom and their interest in my story. Most importantly, I’m thankful to The Literary Consultancy. If it weren’t for their mentorship program, this project would have still been an incomplete story that I only dream of writing.”