
Matthew Haughton’s debut collection of poems, Stand in the Stillness of Woods, has been released by WordTech Editions. Haughton’s poem “Ox-Eyes” appeared in Inch #17. Inch #11 contributor Katerina Stoykova-Klemer had this to say about the collection: “In Stand in the Stillness of Woods, horses, hawks, deer, bobcats, chickens and ‘all breeds of creatures’ emerge to add voice and presence to the completely-alive world of the speaker. These poems explore the formation of a deep connection to one’s place of birth and trace the development of that connection through symbolic observations of nature and insightful attention to detail. Fears, dreams and relationships bring heartbreaking premonitions of upcoming tragedies and loss. Mountains, hills and woods become characters in this world alongside family members and Kentucky literary icons. These poems stick together and converse with one another while drawing us in. We, the readers, stand still and in awe of the beauty of Matthew Haughton’s first full length poetry book.” You can order a copy at the WordTech web site: http://www.wordtechweb.com/haughton.html.
Last year, we told you about The Last Hiccup, the second novel from Inch #9 contributor Christopher Meades. Meades was presented with the Canadian Authors Association’s fiction award for the book, published in 2012 by ECW Press.
Here are the CAA Judges’ Comments: “The Last Hiccup is an episodic novel reminiscent of Chaucer’s Tales or the Decameron. At the heart of the story is a hiccup, or more specifically, a boy with the hiccups… This surrealistic novel takes us through the misadventures of Vladimir and along the way the reader gets a good look at society’s foibles. The writing is exquisite, the language poetic and fresh. Although the story takes place in 1930s Russia, it feels very relevant to our times.”
Other authors who have won the Canadian Author’s Award for Fiction include: Margaret Atwood, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Alistair MacLeod, Will Ferguson, Tom Rachman, Patrick deWitt and Douglas Coupland.