Nativity

by Allison Symes (Contributor), Debz Hobbs-Wyatt (Editor), Gill James (Editor)

Many of the stories in this collection take place at or near Christmas time. There are stories of new births, of rebirths, of new beginnings, and there are a couple that deal with the joys and sorrows of the annual Nativity Play.

Again this year it was difficult to make the final choice. There are so many skilled writers out there. There was little wrong with any of the writing we read but in the end we went for the strongest stories and for those tales that best interpreted the theme.

There are some familiar authors in this volume and also some new writers. We treasure them all.

163 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2019

About the author

I write non-fiction articles for Chandler's Ford Today, an online community magazine.

I focus on reviewing local theatre productions, writing items of interest to the writers' community, and articles such as Creativity is Good For You, How to Spot a Real Writing Competition and so on.

I also write for monthly writing magazine, Writers' Narrative, which is written by writers for writers. I am also a copy editor for them.

Fiction wise, I have been published online and in print by Cafelit, Bridge House Publishing, and Chapeltown Books. I have also been published online by Alfie Dog Fiction.

Chapeltown Books published my first flash fiction collection, From Light to Dark and Back Again, in 2017. My follow-up volume, Tripping The Flash Fantastic, came out in 2020.

I've also been privileged to be one of the winners of the Waterloo Arts Festival Writing Competition three years in a row. My winning stories for all three are now in a paperback called Transformations (Bridge House Publishing).

I regularly attend the Swanwick Writers' Summer School.

I am a member of the Society of Authors and Association of Christian Writers.

Reviews

[Iris Chacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of nineteen separate short stories centers around the themes of birth and rebirth and the idea of new beginnings. It is not specifically a group of Christmas stories, although Christmas is a key feature of several of the entertaining and evocative tales.

This would have been a five-star review all the way but for one technicality, which I will explain later. That one lost star, which would probably be only half a lost star if that were possible, should not dissuade you from picking up this excellent book of stories to read through the holidays and beyond. You'll find yourself thinking about Christmas, and births of many kinds, in unexpected, new ways.

The stories range in tone from somber and sad to quirky and funny, but all will reach your brain's deep core and stay there.

I purchased this book, and the opinion expressed herein are entirely my, expressed voluntarily.

[Amy Reade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a collection of short stories inspired by the concept of nativity. They're not all Christmas stories, and they're not all religious stories. What impressed me the most was the creativity of the anthology contributors and their various takes on nativity. Not all the stories were my cup of tea, so I admit to skimming a couple. But for the most part, I enjoyed the book and would be interested to go back and read some of the publisher's other seasonal anthologies.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of the stories in this collection are Christmas-oriented, hence the Nativity theme. But they also feature tales of birth, re-birth, and new beginnings, all of which can happen at any time of the year. Some tales are dark, some light. With the variety of voices and writing styles in these stories, readers are sure to their next favorite author.

[Paula R C R. C. Readman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of writers. All at different stages in their writing careers. Bridge House Publishing is a brilliant gateway for new writers. A fine mix of stories and linked under one theme.