Hillfire Press

14/02/2025

Happy Valentine's Day 💘

In case you need something to send to your Valentine, we've made some literary Valentines for you, featuring lots of love (and a bit of sass).

1: 'If I had a flower for every time I thought of you ... I could walk through my garden forever.' - Alfred Lord Tennyson
2: 'In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.' - Jane Austen
3:'I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)' - e.e. cummings
4: Doubt thou the stars are fire;/Doubt that the sun doth move;/Doubt truth to be a liar;/But never doubt I love.' - William Shakespeare
5: 'I would like to be the air that inhabits you for a moment only. I would like to be that unnoticed and that necessary.' - Margaret Atwood
6: 'Yes, I was infatuated with you: I am still.' - Sylvia Plath

Do you ❤ indie presses? Support Hillfire Press by pre-ordering Vol. 4 or donating! Link in bio 🔗

11/02/2025

We're delighted to feature writer Katie Hay-Molopo again this week ✨

Katie Hay-Molopo was born in a small town where the inhabitants are mostly trees, fish, and mosquitoes. She is the author of ‘Potsherds: A Poem, in Two Parts’ in Hillfire Anthology Vol. II.

She says, ‘This poem came from a difficult season of waiting, inspired by my own desperation for resolution and too much time to mull over one of my favorite Biblical images—that of God as potter and humans (me!) as clay.’

You can read the full poem in Hillfire Anthology Vol. II, available now on our website. Link in bio 🔗

Want to support the work we do at ? Pre-order Vol. IV now or donate and

03/02/2025

February is LGBTQ+ History Month 📆🏳️‍🌈

What are your favourite books by LGBTQ+ authors? 📚

Let us know in the comments 👇

01/02/2025

Hillfire Vol. 4 is now available to pre-order!

Link in bio 🔗

29/01/2025

This week's featured writer is another new member of the Hillfire Team ✨ Ruby Vallis ✨

Ruby Vallis lives in Bristol. She writes short stories, and when she isn’t, she edits (for the third time) a novel set in Colombia, where she was born. Her short stories are inspired by both Colombian and British culture. One of her short stories was published in 2018, Voices Along the Road anthology in aid of child refugees.

She said, 'Hillfire is a supportive and well-organised community, and I love being part of it.'

Welcome to the team, Ruby!

We're thrilled to read Ruby's work in Hillfire Volume Four. You can pre-order it now! Link in bio 🔗

28/01/2025

Exciting Hillfire author news 📣

Hillfire Vol. 3 author Dorothy Lawrenson's debut poetry collection will be published by Drunk Muse Press!

Dorothy says, 'I'm thrilled at the thought of seeing this collection in print and thrilled that I'll be in the company of the six other wonderful women poets being published by Drunk Muse in 2025-6.'

We're thrilled too and can't wait to read Dorothy's collection 📚

You can read more from Dorothy in Hillfire Vol. 3, available on our website now. Link in bio 🔗

Drunk Muse Press

22/01/2025

Today's featured author is ✨ Alexia Wdowski ✨

Alexia Wdowski lives in a small town by the sea, has an MA in Creative Writing and writes about outsiders, risk-takers, wilderness, and the surreal qualities of daily life.

She said, 'I’m really excited to be a new Hillfire writer. I’ve met some talented writers and helped edit fantastic work. I also love seeing my strange little story come together with each new round of comments. Thanks everyone!'

Thanks for joining the Hillfire team, Alexia!

Follow Alexia's work on her website: https://www.alexiawdowski.co.uk/ and don't forget to pre-order Volume Four so you can read her work as soon as it's published. We can't wait!

Pre-order link in bio 🔗

17/01/2025

ICYMI 👀

Back in November, we ran a and we thought this was a good time to remind you that you can start a new challenge whenever – January seems like a great time to start!

Read the full blog on our website and get a wrap up of our , plus other resources to help you with your ✍

🔗https://www.hillfirepress.com/blog/30-day-writing-challenge

15/01/2025

Our next featured author is ✨Katie Hay-Molopo ✨

Katie Hay-Molopo was born in a small town where the inhabitants are mostly trees, fish, and mosquitoes. She is the author of ‘The Art of Delivery’ in Hillfire Anthology Vol. III.

She says, ‘I wrote this piece while on maternity leave after bringing my second daughter into the world, as a Lemony Snicket style retelling of her birth story (because that’s what happens when you read all 13 Series of Unfortunate Events books in less than 6 weeks).’

You can read the full story in Hillfire Anthology Vol. III, available now on our website and in Edinburgh bookshops 📚 Link in bio 🔗

14/01/2025

This week we're talking about our 2025 ✨

Did you set any writing resolutions this year?

New Hillfire Writer Wester told us: 'I aim to get 2+ short stories published in 2025 (in addition to my Hillfire piece). I have a sizeable selection of unpublished short fiction and I hope this goal will help me get to editing (at least some of) these into shape. And then – of course – send them out in an attempt to get them in people's eyeballs!'

Here are some suggestions to help you (and Wester) achieve your writing resolutions:

📚Try Morning Pages and start each day by writing for 15 minutes before you do anything else. No expectations. If you don't know what to write, start with the line, 'I don't know what to write ...' and carry on.
📚Join a writing group and plan a day to meet up (in person or online) each month.
📚Grow an extravagant moustache for respectable author photo. (Or even try taking some fancy author photos for motivation!)
📚Block out writing time in your calendar. It’s a little thing, but having that time ‘officially’ noted helps to make writing a priority.
📚Try a new prompt. Sign up for The Time is Now newsletter from Poets & Writers and get new prompts straight to your inbox (they've also got an archive with hundreds of prompts!) 🔗https://www.pw.org/blogs/writing_prompter
📚Try doing a monthly writing challenge. Check our blog for some suggestions (including our challenge from November).
🔗https://www.hillfirepress.com/blog/30-day-writing-challenge
📚Sign up for a writing course and learn something new.
📚Find contests or places to submit to and commit to sending a new piece of writing. Plan a date to check in on your progress, and even better, get a friend to commit so you have someone to be accountable to!

Have you set yourself any writing resolutions this year? Let us know in the comments!

10/01/2025

We're starting 2025 with some Reading Resolutions 📚

Hillfire Executive Editor Carly .alynnsia told us her reading goal is '52+ books this year. My usual morning routine is to wake up, make coffee, and read for 20-30 minutes before doing anything else – but that alone would not be enough to accomplish the goal!'

Social Media Officer Miriam said her reading goal is to conquer her TBR pile. She said, 'that means not buying any new books* until I've read everything on my shelves.
*Unless it's a book in a series required to complete the series. Math.'

We've come up with some suggestions help Carly and Miriam (and you!) accomplish their reading goals.

📚 Sign up for the Scottish Book Trust's Januread Challenge: https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/reading-and-stories/januread
📚 Join Gretchen Rubin's '25 in 25' reading challenge and commit to read 25 minutes each day this year: https://gretchenrubin.com/design-your-year-2025/
📚 Join a local book club. Check your favourite bookshops for suggestions.
📚 If you haven't yet joined The Storygraph, now's the time! Why not signup for a reading challenge? https://thestorygraph.com
📚Document your reading this year. Try starting a reading journal in a new notebook. Planned and Planted have some great suggestions: https://plannedandplanted.com/2024-reading-journal-set-up-ideas/

What are your 2025 reading resolutions? Tell us about them (and how you plant to achieve them) in the comments 👇

08/01/2025

We're delighted to start 2025 by featuring one of our new Hillfire authors ✨

Laura de la Parra is a writer living in Madrid. She has published three poetry collections, a short story collection, and a novella under the penname Emily Roberts. She teaches English and American literature at university.

She said: 'I really enjoyed working with Hillfire. You feel supported in every part of the process and you get very useful feedback for your writing. It’s great to feel like you belong to a community of writers!'

We're looking forward to reading Laura's story in Hillfire Vol. 4, available to pre-order now! Link in bio 🔗

07/01/2025

24/12/2024

Happy Christmas Eve!

Well, it's the final day of the 😅

We hope you've enjoyed our calendar of literary treats.

And behind door 24 ... a final ! We asked some of Team Hillfire to recommend their top reads of the year. Thanks to .alynnsia .gui_ and Wester for the suggestions 📚

Have you read any of these? What was your top read of 2024? Let us know in the comments!

This is also us signing off for 2024 ✨ Wishing you a restful festive period with lots of time for reading! We'll be back on 6th January 2025, ready to get you excited for Volume 4!

Happy holidays!

23/12/2024

Behind the penultimate door ... our final of 2024!

Set a story on New Year's Eve, or write a story based on New Year's resolutions.

Maybe you write a story abut someone fresh into January and out on their morning run in the snow. Or maybe you choose to write about someone giving up on 2nd January?

Whatever you write, send it to us! You can DM us, or tag us ✍

And don't forget that there's still time to pre-order V4 and send our gift voucher! Link in bio 🔗

22/12/2024

Just three more days to go!

Today we're sharing another recommendation from 📚

M. A. Kuzniar's ✨Upon a Frosted Star✨

'Swan Lake meets Gatsby,' says Nicole.

Have you read it? Let us know in the comments 👇

21/12/2024

Only four days left to go!

Today's literary treat is a

Write a story about a character returning home for the holidays. Bonus points if they awkwardly run into an old flame.

Let the drama commence!

We love to read your work – tag us or DM us if you write something based on one of our prompts ✍

Just a reminder that Hillfire Vol. IV is NOW AVAILABLE to pre-order! Link in bio 🔗

20/12/2024

We've got another recommendation for you behind door #20.

New Hillfire writer Wester suggests Han Kang's ✨The White Book ✨

He says, 'Not very holiday-y, but snow is white and (now Nobel Prize in Literature winner!) Han Kang is always great.'

Have you read it? Let us know in the comments 👇