Engen Books and Quadrangle are proud to reveal the title and three authors to-be-featured in their collaboration anthology featuring stories by and about the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Quadrangle’s mission is to create a community centre for 2SLGBTQAI+ individuals and organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador, a space that is a resource for building community resilience and connection, and that provides supports for existing initiatives of our 2SLGBTQAI+ community. As a registered charity, both working toward having a community centre, and taking up projects like this one contribute to Quad’s vision of contributing to sustainable, positive, community connections. All profits from this collection will go towards that goal.
The title of this year's collection will be Acceptance: Stories at the Centre of Us. Stories were selected by Ailsa Craig, Sulaimon Giwa, AJ Ryan, and, Sarah Thompson.
Sheri Singleton is an author from Newfoundland and Labrador. She brings with her her short story Acceptance, which the editors liked so much they chose to name the entire collection for it. When asked about this development, Singleton said: "Seriously?! Wooooohooooooo!!!! OMG this made my weekend!!! Oh. My. God. Is this April 1st? Or reality?! I love it so much!!!"
Secondly, DC Diamondopolous is an award-winning short story, and flash fiction writer with over 300 stories published internationally in print and online magazines, literary journals, and anthologies. DC's stories have appeared in: Penmen Review, Progenitor, 34th Parallel, So It Goes: The Literary Journal of the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, Lunch Ticket, and others. DC was nominated for the Pushcart Prize twice in 2020 and also for Best of the Net Anthology in 2020 and 2017. DC’s short story collection Stepping Up is published by Impspired. She lives on the California central coast with her wife and animals. DC brings with them the short story 1984, a daring piece about one of the major struggles facing the community. Find more at the website dcdiamondopolous.com.
Thirdly we have Victory Lap author KA Mielke, returning for his second Engen publication in 2021. Mielke in an Ontario native who has a gift for melding the strange with literary sensibilities. He is best known for his short fiction, which has appeared in nearly a dozen short fiction anthologies throughout the country since 2010. Some of his best known work includes “Old as the Sun” from A Metazen Christmas (2010), “The Disastrous Disappointment of Dictatorship” from Off Topic Publishing (2017), and, “Clay” from Mythology from the Rock (2021). He brings with him his short story Time of the Month.
In 2020, Mielke published his first novel, Victory Lap, co-authored with Riley Alexis Wood. It is an own voices novel about taking the time to find yourself, even when the rest of the world screams for you to get a move on. "Victory Lap was brilliant," says Engen founder Matthew LeDrew. "Exactly the type of fiction that excites and reinvigorates. It's one of the rarest gems in indie fiction: a novel that delivers on its promises."
"I’m overjoyed to be appearing in my second Engen anthology," said Mielke. "Especially one partnered with a celebrated queer advocacy and resource group!"
Acceptance: Stories at the Centre of Us will feature twenty-two stories from twenty amazing authors. Stay tuned to Engen Books for more author announcements and cover reveals.