Thrilled that 'Awake, Morpheus!' has been placed second in TSS Cambridge short story prize.

 

https://theshortstory.co.uk/competitions/short-story-competition/

  

POETRY EVENTS, OCTOBER 2026

1st OCTOBER 7pm-9pm PEOPLE'S BOOKSHOP, DURHAM

An event for National Poetry Day with T.S Eliot prize shortlisted author, Gillian Allnutt and the two distinguished poets, Cynthia Fuller and Jackie Litherland plus new poet Eliza Mood. Tickets £5. Promises to be a rare and fabulous evening. 

24th OCTOBER, 2026, 7pm-9.30pm HAMSTEELS COMMUNITY CENTRE, ESH WINNING

At Hamsteels Community Centre, Esh Winning, we present an Arts event in support of the group 'Nurturing Nature, EW.’ The evening will combine poetry reading and harp playing with paintings and an opportunity to take part if you wish! This is a free evening: any donation will support the natural environment of Esh Winning via Nurturing Nature. Poetry pamphlet and local art book on sale. Sponsored by Bearpark Artists and Nurturing Nature, Esh Winning. 

NEW BOOK OUT, June 2026

My poetry pamphlet, ‘It Rains in the Weather House,’ is hot off the press. It tells of lives lived inextricably intertwined with earth’s tempers. 

To order a copy of ‘It Rains in the Weather House’  please contact elizamood@btinternet.com 

Been bobbing about on the outskirts of some competitions lists, poetry and story. I've always liked bobbing and outskirts. You get to hear some good readings and meet great people who write, too. So a couple of Bridport shortlistings. And got invited down to a lovely event one watery weekend in Derby to hear the Aurora prize readings and the judges speeches. Warm and welcoming.

 https://writingeastmidlands.co.uk/for-writers/aurora-prize-for-writing/ 

https://poetrysociety.org.uk/competitions/national-poetry-competition/ 

 

THE NEW LEAF 
 Nurturing Nature are going to the Resident's Association meeting open to everyone this Thursday 26th at the Woodland Hall at 7pm. Perhaps you can come along and support people and nature in our village. As members of Nurturing Nature, Esh Winning, we have been learning the basics of bird-feeing in our garden this year. We invented a makeshift method to deter jackdaws and were visited by a tiny, fierce goldcrest bobbing about in the evergreen bit of hedge. Perhaps it came for the mealworms. Support the birds! Hope to see you on Thursday.

Bird Feeding

 

 

7^th February 2026

The New Leaf

Nature News from Nurturing Nature, Esh Winning community gardeners and supporters of nature

Spring is on the way! Snowdrops and anemones are just coming into flower at the horseshoe of trees and shrubs down at the old station on the lines. It’s called a Miyawake Horseshoe in Japan. Planting trees close together in that way helps them to support each other underground.

ALLOTMENT VOLUNTEERS 

13 Fir Terraces Allotment is open for gardening volunteers. Residents of Esh Winning are invited to work with Edwin Simpson on any Monday/s from the 16^th of February from 11am till 1pm or during that time. Volunteers will share in the produce!

 COMMUNITY GARDEN

A survey last year found the idea of a community garden to be popular with many residents. Some of you came along to a meeting to talk about this. Rather than just one spot, we will be gardening in various pocket parks in the village. At the moment we are working with the schools and down at the old station area and have got some other spots in mind. If you keep your eyes open we hope you will notice some fruits and flowers and bright and restful places appearing gradually over time. You can take part.We are always looking for volunteers to join our group. To find out more, email nature.eshwinning@btinternet.com

 For the latest about what the Woodland Trust are doing in Ragpath Wood visit these links:

Info page:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/ragpath-wood/

Plan document:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/media/46746/4130-ragpath-wood.pdf

 

 

'Under the Forbidden Tree' was longlisted by Black Spring in September 2023. Also longlisted by Cinnamon Press, and shortlisted IML publications in late '22. Seeking publication is a long road.

Connected by old roads. Dere Street. It may not look much at this point, but 2000 years ago, give or take, I'd have been able to walk all the way to where Stairwell Books, my publisher, is to be found, in York. I'd trudge a, sometimes causwayed, metalled road that still runs, often buried, half a mile from my house. Or, in the other direction, saunter to my mother's place in Corbridge. All of this, courtesy of an Empire - the Roman, naturally - for which we were a wild uncilvilised outpost and who departed leaving their legacy in the blood, no doubt, and etched into the landscape on which we lately scratched our own graffiti, a palimpsest on theirs.

Spun the yarn and sent it on its way, though not so effectively as this orb spider who packaged up a grasshopper. Making ready to produce its great work: a hatch of spiderlings.

 

 Our garden is full of blowsy wild carrot and antics in the pond have slowed from whirligigs and pond skaters to the odd ruddy darter eyeing us up and ramshorn snails drifting on the underside of fallen leaves. The odd water boatman rises or falls and David still sits and bides his time.

 The Volcano Letters

Thrilled: last Saturday, 'The Volcano Letters' my new potential environmental-historical novel was shortlisted by IML Publications Memoir and Novel Contest! Contestants must submit their completed novel by the end of this month. Good luck to the other contestants: some great titles!

 

An adult and young adult fantasy by Susie Williamson and published by fabulous Stairwell Books. (I would say that - but its true!) Enjoyed this fantasy of rites of passage touching on belief, spirituality, inner strength. A fable resonant for our time. How lies and delusions through accretion can become powerful, a sham that all play their part in maintaining through layers and levels of collusion. Until, from the least expected quarter...

 

Catatonia

Jelly ear drops from sycamore.

We are listening, Jonathan.

We peer at fox tracks in a book;

they are trying to stop it, you say.

The harm? Pauline asks. Yeah.

You’ll draw something in green?

Green is for brain damage, you say.

You once drew the tree

at Sycamore

Gap

Sycamore Gap by Jonathan Mood

An Elven name for unreal times. That 'noble maiden,' Arwen, blew up flocks of flakes, moaned her song and smothered us in her shroud. And we remembered. Was it she played ice bells on the Church Burn in sixty-eight? A little of ourselves sleeps through that other winter still.

Review

Mary Woodbury (Dragonfly) curates a wonderful website about eco-fiction. In her words 'Dragonfly.eco is a place to find meaningful stories about our natural world and humanity’s connection with it.' She is active on Twitter @EcoFiction on writers and artists responding to the climate crisis and runs a discussion group on Discord. How does she fit it all in? Thank you, Mary.  Review of 'O Man of Clay' on Dragonfly.eco

Two reviews of climate fiction on the great Susie Williamson's blog:

 http://susiewilliamson.blog/2021/11/23/for-the-love-of-books-11/

David is building a fence by eye with rough wood. He is out there with jackdaws and a rusted thwacker like a bell to knock in the posts. I am roughly placing fenceposts and then shifting them about ready, over time, to nail some chapters in place.

 She?

Thinking of a friend gone,

spilt leaves along a field edge

rising close-by to a long curve. 

There. A shape cut out of sky. 

Moments pass. The silhouette 

 slots into place.  Single-tine antlers, 

looking, one ear turning, letting 

time sift the air between us.

A dog barks in the wood below 

and in her own time, a launch, legs

crooked, still in the air, again and 

again. Stops. Looks. Doe? We.

 

(C) Eliza Mood

 Gather round and i'll tell you a story about some of the animals - some human apes - who forgot all about our common ancestor's warnings when we took different paths through the forest. They didn't think to clean up after themselves. We've been doing it for them. When they come knocking on our door, we'll have to break it to them. We'll go on doing our best, but only if they become like us again and really mean it, will they be around to see how it all shakes down. 

'O Man of Clay'available at Stairwell Books or wherever you buy or order your books.

A little group of us had a chat about 'The Swan Book' by Alexis Wright. Organised by Linda France, writer in residence for New Writing North. Extraordinary, terrifying fable. My review on Goodreads is here. (Bonnet Mycena)

'O Man of Clay'available at Stairwell Books or wherever you buy or order your books.