About this Site
My name's Jonathan Pinnock. I lead a dual life. In one half of this, I run a software development company called Jonathan Pinnock and Associates. If you've come here looking for that, here's where you need to go.However, if you've come here to find out about the other half of my life, as a writer of fiction and non-fiction, you've come to the right place.
If, on the other hand, you've arrived here by accident whilst searching for Japanese Tentacle Porn, I suggest you try using a different search engine.
If you'd like to contact me, my e-mail address is jon AT jpassoc DOT co DOT uk.
Books
Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens was published by Proxima Books in September 2011.
The Scott Prize-winning short story collection Dot(.), Dash(-) will be published by Salt in 2012.
Oct
23
Rare Meat
Filed Under Performances | 2 Comments
So much going on lately I haven’t had time yet to put up a link to the story I had read for the Fear and Loathing event at Liars’ League a couple of weeks back. It’s been a while since I last had a piece read there (although not for want of trying – the competition is quite fierce), and things had changed somewhat since the last time. The venue is a lot bigger for one thing, and the audience much larger than the old days upstairs at The Wheatsheaf - although that might possibly have been because a new Stephen King story was on the bill…
Amongst the others on the top-notch bill were fellow VWCer Julie Mayhew and Proxima label-mate Niall Boyce (small world, eh?). It was also nice to finally meet Twitter chums Tim Aldrich and Sumit Paul-Choudhury, who were both in the audience.
Anyway, here’s my piece, “Rare Meat”, expertly read by Greg Page (text here):
Oct
12
The New Writer Prose and Poetry Prizes
Filed Under Competitions, Performances | 5 Comments
Well then. I’m inordinately chuffed to be able to announce that I’m going to be judging the short stories this year for The New Writer. The closing date is November 30th, so that gives you plenty of time to write something utterly brilliant for me. Now I guess you may be wondering what kind of thing I’m looking for, but I’m afraid the massively unhelpful answer is that I won’t know until I see it.
But… I did once write a post for another occasion when I was looking for submissions and I think it may be time to trot that one out again. So… *drum roll* … here’s a repeat appearance for Swiss Toni’s Guide to Writing Short Stories. That should give you a bit of a clue as to what I’m looking for.
In other news, I had a fab time at Liars’ League last night – fantastic audience (wow, it’s grown since the last time I went), some wonderful stories and an absolutely spot on performance of my piece by Greg Page. I’ll post the video when it’s available.
Oct
10
Dinner with Sylvia
Filed Under Mrs Darcy, Performances, Publications | Leave a Comment
Today we make a brief return to the world of short stories. My piece “Dinner with Sylvia”, a story about some meat with unusual qualities, is in the last-ever edition of “The Battered Suitcase”, which you can get hold of here.
This is a story that searched long and hard for a home – much to my surprise, because there are plenty of lesser stories of mine that have been published. Still, who am I to judge?) Anyway, do take a look.
And if you’re in London tomorrow evening, do head over to The Phoenix in Cavendish Square, where by an odd coincidence a piece of mine called “Rare Meat” is going to be read at Liars’ League. Hmmm. There’s a bit of a theme developing here.
Finally, June Gundlack has reviewed Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens for issue #12 of The Pages magazine. No meat in this one, but a lot of tentacles.
Apr
26
The Voices, the Voices!
Filed Under Acceptances, Anthologies, Performances, Publications | Leave a Comment
I’ve been having a play with recording myself reading stuff. My initial motivation for doing this was the fact that Eclectic Flash have a “Voices” section on their site and I thought it might be fun (and a bit of a challenge) to record myself reading “The Language of Angels”, which they published in their very first edition. Here it is anyway – see what you think.
Having done that, I wondered about recording other things and I remembered that Every Day Fiction have an occasional podcast, so I went through the pieces I’d done for them to see which ones might work, given my frankly rather limited range as a vocal artiste. I ended up choosing the very first piece of mine that they published, “Cock Up”, which duly went live yesterday. I’m still not entirely sure whether that was an entirely appropriate choice for Easter Monday, but there you go. At least there’s no French in it.
In other news, a Twitter haiku of mine has been selected for 7×20′s first anthology, and my very wonderful publishers, Proxima, have started a blog – make sure you add that one to your list.
Feb
17
Sparks 12
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Good grief, is it a week since I last blogged? Not good. The day job has suddenly gone a bit bananas, which has kept me from more important stuff like writing. Still, it helps pay the bills until the day when Mrs Darcy tops the bestseller lists …
(At this point, we should probably have one of those wavy dissolves where I drift off into a dream, from which I am rudely awoken by an irate phone call from one of my clients.)
Anyway, it’s just occurred to me that I haven’t yet pointed you in the direction of the piece that I read at the start of February at Sparks 12, “Ariadne and Her Lover”, a slightly skewed take on Greek mythology. I had a great time as usual there and I even managed to get back home by one o’clock in the morning.
But the next big event is the Get Writing conference on Saturday, which I am really looking forward to. Should be an absolutely terrific day: loads of ace speakers and the chance to meet several chums from the Twitterverse for the first time.
Jan
9
One More Night of SPARKS
Filed Under Invitations, Performances | Leave a Comment
I like being asked to do things. It’s so much more civilised than submitting stuff and then waiting on tenterhooks to find out if anyone likes it. So when Jo Mortimer e-mailed me to see if I fancied taking part in the last night of SPARKS in its present form, I had to say yes. (And take a look at that line-up – impressive, eh?)
I like SPARKS, too. I’ve read there three times in the last year or so, and I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s always fascinating to find out what the photographer has come up with to go with your piece, too.
So if you’re in the Brighton area in the evening of February 1st, do come along to Upstairs at Three and Ten. I’ll be reading my new-ish piece “Ariadne and Her Lover”. The only downside is that having sent this one off to Jo, I realised that it would have been just right to submit to Liars’ League for their February “Cock and Bull” theme. One of my targets for 2011 is to get back into LL, so I may have missed an opportunity there. D’oh.
Nov
3
Eclectic Flash “Best of 2010″ Anthology
Filed Under Acceptances, Anthologies, Performances | 6 Comments
Nice e-mail from Brad Nelson of Eclectic Flash last night (quick reminder of editorial staff page at EF for those of you who don’t remember it from last time) to say that my odd little bilingual flash “The Language of Angels” has been selected for their “Best of 2010″ anthology. Good to see a strange little piece like that getting some more recognition.
Had a great time at Sparks as usual last night. “Desert Culture” had a bit of a “meh” response, partly as a result of me fumbling the reading a bit and partly because it’s quite a slight piece anyway. But “Advice re Elephants” seemed to go down very well. I think it’s my favourite piece at the moment, and I think I’ll probably read it again at the VWC Open Mic night at The Goat in St Albans on November 25th.
Nov
2
Get Writing 2011 and Other Stuff
Filed Under Events, Festivals and Conferences, Performances | Leave a Comment
Tickets went on sale for Get Writing 2011 yesterday, and if it’s anything like as good as last year’s event (and to be honest it’s looking even better) it will be an absolutely terrific occasion. Loads of excellent speakers, instructive workshops and – most importantly – the opportunity to pitch your work to a top-flight agent or editor.
If you don’t believe me (because, after all, I am slightly biased, being a member of the writers’ circle that’s organising it), read this account from one of last year’s attendees.
Here’s where you need to go to book. What more can I say? Get in there, and get in there fast, because it will sell out!
In other news, I’m heading down to Brighton tonight in the company of my good chum Oscar Windsor-Smith to read once more at Sparks. I’m going to be reading “Desert Culture” (as featured in the “50 Stories for Pakistan” anthology) and “Advice re Elephants”. Come along if you’re in the area – Sparks is always a great night out and an excellent way of driving the winter blues away.
Oct
28
50 Stories for Pakistan
Filed Under Anthologies, Performances | Leave a Comment
… is now ON SALE! Do you need me to say anything more about it? Go and buy a copy now. Buy 10. Buy 20. Buy 50.
And if anyone fancies hearing me read my contribution, “Desert Culture”, come on down to Sparks 11, Upstairs at Three and Ten, Steine Street, Brighton next Tuesday, November 2nd at 8PM.
Sep
7
Interview at Between the Lines
Filed Under Interviews, Performances | 2 Comments
I’m very honoured to be the guest interviewee at the lovely Alison Bacon’s blog, Between the Lines, today. Do drop in and say hello and feel free to ask questions. There may even be virtual cake on offer.
And if you’re in the Brighton area tonight, do come along to SPARKS 10, which promises to be an excellent event with a positively star-studded cast. I’m really looking forward to this, although I’m not quite so looking forward to getting home afterwards, given that the through trains stop in the evenings and there’s a tube strike on.