The Sword

June 22, 2014 ~ emmakosborne ~ Leave a comment

On Friday I absently stuck a temporary tattoo on my arm. I got it from a sheet that came in a Neko Case LP – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You. On Saturday, I walked into a local tattoo parlour and made it permanent.

I’ve written about Indelible Marks before.

I’ve been looking for a symbol. I’m yet to write it up, but three weeks ago I took my closest friends to the oak forest in Harcourt and held a goodbye ceremony for my twin sister, Penny. She died when we were thirteen months old. I was too young to remember the funeral. It was a beautiful day, and I feel like something within me has profoundly and forever changed.

I’d planned on getting an Alpha symbol, to remind me that I am the surviving twin, that I am strong, resilient. I just couldn’t see it. All of the placements felt slightly off. It wasn’t like the tree, that I imagined on my side every day for a year.

When I saw the sword on my arm, I knew. This tattoo is strength and passion and truth. It is a quest and a Needle and a cutter of knots. It is honesty and sharpness. It is intelligence, reason, fortitude. It is fierceness. It is forged, by hammers in hands.

The sword is to remind me that I have agency and personal power. It feels right. It feels perfect.

‘Clean Hands, Dirty Hands’ Reviewed!

June 12, 2014June 12, 2014 ~ emmakosborne ~ 1 Comment

My story ‘Clean Hands, Dirty Hands’ which appeared in Aurealis #71 has been reviewed by Tangent!

You can read the positive and lovely review here.

This is essentially my first major review and I’m thrilled that the story has been called ‘excellent’ and ‘highly recommended’. It’s also the first story I’ve had published which meets the criteria for the Campbell Award for Best New Writer. My forthcoming story in Shock Totem #9 will be the second for 2014.

It’s a hugely exciting time for me and I’d like to sincerely thank everyone who has given me words of encouragement and support, especially in terms of critiquing.

Aurealis #71 is available to purchase here.

‘Clean Hands, Dirty Hands’ Out Now at Aurealis

June 2, 2014June 3, 2014 ~ emmakosborne ~ 2 Comments

I couldn’t ask for a lovelier thing to have happen on a dreary Monday morning – my fantasy story Clean Hands, Dirty Hands is now available in Aurealis #71! You can purchase a copy through Smashwords here.

And look at the pretty cover! Allow me to gush.

I’m really excited that this story is out in the world. It was originally written a couple of years ago with the applications for Clarion Writers’ Workshop and Clarion West in mind. I haven’t managed to sneak into a workshop yet, but I’m very happy that this story managed to find a home regardless.

I set Clean Hands, Dirty Hands in and around my home town, Castlemaine, albeit at a time when there were more tents than solid buildings. At its heart, it’s a story of loss and grief. Charmingly, Aurealis called my story ‘Australian Gothic writ large’. I must admit that I’m quite stoked with that.

Aurealis is also looking for subscribers to enable them to pay pro rates for their stories. They’re gunning for SFWA status as a pro market, so consider a subscription if you like what you read. It’s only $20 for a year of great fiction, and will go a long way to supporting the Australian speculative fiction community.

Edited to add: I forgot to put up a shout-out to my issue-buddy, Michael Grey. Congratulations, Michael!