Browsing the Bookshelves

I stumbled across The Writeout Club's website today. Superficially, it's a place where new and established writers can showcase their work and, it seems, chat among themselves.  But what struck me about this site was the emphasis on show casing 'new' writers. Seriously, it's not only you that will not have heard of these guys before, amazon apparently hasn't either.  Anyone can request e-copies of some of the showcased works - although a brief glance at some of the synopsis offers indicates that a degree of selectivity might be wise - read and then review them. So, tired of the same old, same old in Waterstone's 3 for 2 offers? Bored with Borders cautious offerings? Stick to the back teeth with the poor selection of commuter fodder for the brain dead in John Menzies? Try the writeout club. You can bet your bottom dollar most will be drivel writ long and large, but you've a better chance of finding something new, exciting and fresh there than in many high street chain stores.

Well done to Francesca and Joe Gil for creating such an interesting, and might I add seductive-looking, website for all us booklovers, even if we're not writers. I might have requested one of the books myself, except that I happen to have a copy of one of then - Joe Blues' Teaching the Headmaster - sitting right in front of me already. I wonder how that happened...ever been anywhere near the South Bank?