Goldfish Website Launch

Posted on March 27, 2008 in Uncategorized

Thursday 13th March 2008 saw the launch of the Goldfish online journal at the Swedenborg Institute in London. When I first heard about it, I naturally assumed that it had something to do with the credit card company, so I wasn’t quite sure why I’d been told about it. But it only took a few minutes’ research online to find out that Goldfish is actually an online repository for compositions from the MA in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Since I run my own literary website in my spare time (Authortrek.com), I am always on the Goldfish launch invites lookout for talented new writers, so I quickly decided that I must attend the launch night. I’d previously been to the Swedenborg Institute for the launch of Legend Press’s second short story anthology, Seven Days. It’s a great place to hold a launch, being well lit with veerings towards neo-classical design that make any reading look classy. Looking at the name badges in the reception area, I was very impressed to see that a variety of literary agents and publishing bods would be attending. I’m naturally quite shy and find it difficult to approach people at such events until after I’ve had a few sips of wine, but there were a few ‘meeters and greeters’ there, such as Amy Sackville, who soon put me at my ease and told me more about the event.

Then it was down to business, as eight writers from the course read from their work. Amy Sackville read an intriguing excerpt from her yet untitled novel about the Artic. Ben Holden had everyone gripped with Mynatour, a poem about a man transformed into a starling. Patrick Hudson revelled in his rich literary voice as he read from his novel, Everybody is the Star of Their Own Movie. There were some extracts from the Life Writing students, which, although they were read well, I wasn’t quite so interested in, as my main focus will always be fiction. Although I’m fairly well-read, this is the first time that I had contact with Life Writing per se, and I couldn’t really see the application for it, aside for some probable cathartic release for the author (all the Life Writing extracts were far too humorous to be considered as Misery Lit!).

Just as I thinking about leaving, Roxanne Bibizadeh discerned my intent and intercepted me. Many writers are self-effacing and too shy to promote their work, so it was refreshing to see so many new authors such as Roxanne ready and willing to endorse their writing, and this self-belief must obviously derive from the tutors at Goldsmiths. Roxanne told me that the extract she had read out was a short story about the widow of a suicide bomber – which surprised me, as I had evidently missed these details. However, the great benefit of attending a website launch was that I could check out her excellent story The Bride of Death online, and not feel so stupid after all when I discovered that the most salient parts of her story had not been in her extract.
All in all, it was a great night. Indeed, I was in the presence of one author when an agent came up to her to congratulate her on her work and to ask her for a submission. That was, after all, the whole purpose of the night. Everyone was having so much fun that hardly anyone wanted to leave for the pub! I also made some great contacts on the night, and will be undoubtedly watching the progress of some of these great writers in the future.