A selection of short prose from Colchester Writenight, a community inclusive writing group, formed in 2011. They write together in regular monthly meetings. The theme of this collection, 'Open Book', reflects the diversity of writing they produce and represents their collective passions.

'...a portrait of the real Essex: sexy, funny, cultured, close to Europe, wild and fond of skulduggery in the dark'

A L Kennedy, author

'A spectacular anthology to showcase one of my favourite art forms - the short story.
A phrase used by Alice Violett in OPEN BOOK: 1995, 2009,
2021 is "anthology housekeeping" which evokes something
intentional, clean and heartfelt; emotions that shine through
in this collection, demonstrating how writing under one
'house' can produce something strong and cohesive'
Jo Coldwell, Red Lion Books
'Witty, experimental, clever, thought-provoking and
sometimes plain laugh-out-loud, this collection of short
works is testament to the excellent Colchester WriteNight
group. Between these covers lies a world of surprises: Jesus
sitting on a park bench, a pair of modern-day grave robbers,
a middle-aged woman determined to shock her daughter, as
well as plenty else to inspire and entertain'
Liz Trenow, New York Times best-selling author of The
Secrets of the Lake and seven other historical novels
'A sparkling collection of carefully crafted stories that fizz
with energy and reflect the diversity and talent of this group
of writers. As a collection the work offers both a brave
confrontation with the darkness of Covid and a beautiful
escapism to other worlds and places. It tackles important
social themes and gives us plenty to laugh about'
Nicola Werenowska, playwright

The stories are as brilliant as they are varied. A collection of voices which are superb on their own - together they make a glorious literary choir'

Nik Perring, author