Tuesday 19 May 2020

Return of the Wild!




We are without a doubt living in strange times, and I hope this blog finds you well despite it all. Things are still rolling here at Beul Aithris and it's back to work after a short break to recuperate some overstretched brain cells.

First of, to answer a question that has cropped up (and pertains to the lovely badger!), and that is can you still buy Malcolm J Ingham's From Badgers to Nighthawks? The answer to that is yes, you can. While the Beul Aithris Publishing online shop remains closed thanks to the household being an at risk one from Covid 19 and trips to the Post Office not being possible as a result, Mal's fantastic memoir is still available via Amazon, Waterstones and other retail. It is also currently available at the princely sum of £1.99 on Kindle at present as part of the drive to provide quality, instantly available reading material at reasonable prices while we are all mostly stuck in doors (which is most definitely the case in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where the message is STAY AT HOME). It does appear that print book deliveries are also starting to move again with Amazon too. It's also hard to believe that a year has been and gone since this book was published. Mal has another book in the works at present with Beul Aithris, so watch this space. From Badgers to Nighthawks can be ordered from Amazon (link here) - a perfect way to escape being stuck indoors if you are self isolating.

Like several parents, we are currently working on home learning here. There are a few things Beul Aithris may be able to help in this. One is Elaine May Smith and Alison Stell's Wee Bunny Book for younger readers, that teaches the importance of caring for pets properly and may help encourage new readers to read independently. The Wee Bunny Book is also available on Amazon (link here) and Waterstones. At the time of writing, it says Amazon is temporarily out of stock, but that should soon resolve.

Older readers also home learning may enjoy Kevin McCann's Diary of a Shapeshifter, available for only 99p on Kindle (link here). It's a book that makes the brain tick over and will help stymie any boredom or liven up an English lesson in the dining room. Kevin, a former teacher, also posted some ideas to help with home learning on his blog (link here). I can attest to them reigniting interest from bored kid. Incidentally, the next book to be published by Beul Aithris will be Kevin's fantastic YA fantasy adventure, Ov, due on 24 June. Work is underway on it at present.


And finally, Beul Aithris is open to submissions again. Though the main output has been in the paranormal and folklore, as can be seen from above, all genres are considered (apart from Grapic Novels, which are a whole different ball game!). Please see the submissions page for more details and be sure to read the guidelines (link here)