The Black Spring Press Group

12/06/2024

Thank you so much for waiting so patiently, we are thrilled to announce the CrimeBits Shortlist:

Assassins, Richard T Burke Books (Winner)

The Fixer, Alys Cummings
Timor Estates, Dahlia Fisher
I Killed a Man, Lucy Wetherall
Skin of a Cop, Marek Turner

Congratulations to everyone who made our longlist, and to all our entrants please continue submitting to our prizes, it's such a brilliant way to keep enjoying writing.

Checkout our long- and shortlists here: https://blackspringpressgroup.com/blogs/news/crime-prize-winner

We have a Val McDermid-judged prize that opened yesterday, more on that soon!

11/06/2024

The Val McDermid crime opening gambit prize from Black Spring is now afoot!

MAKE YOUR FIRST PAGE COUNT... The competition is open to anyone 18 or older anywhere in the world who wants to write in the English-language and has an interest in crime, thriller or mystery novels. Writers can enter as many times as they want. We are looking for the best 50-250 words of an ‘openi...

10/06/2024

Happy Monday folks

We are still waiting for some successful entrants to give us permission to publish their work, that is the reason for the delay.

We have contacted most of our successful entrants and we will be publishing the shortlist and the longlist in the next few days.

Congratulations to all of those who have been chosen! It is a very exciting time!

04/06/2024

We love it when local bookstores support independent small press! 📚 📖 huge thank you to House of Books West Hampstead for featuring some of our incredible Black Spring and Eyewear poetry 🤍✨✒️

31/05/2024

Black Spring Press Group will publish CrimeBits: 100 opening gambits for great thrillers & linked mystery puzzles, an interactive crime story and puzzle book, coming this July. CrimeBits has been introduced by the world-famous, best-selling author of the Jack Reacher series, Lee Child, whose books have sold over 200 million copies.

Congratulations are in order for Richard T Burke Books! We have a winner of the ‘Black Spring Prize for Best Opening To a Crime Book’ that looked for the best 50-200 words of an opening for a crime-mystery-thriller novel, to be part of The Big Bang! Crime Prize Anthology.

Richard T Burke has spent over four decades in the engineering industry, and for the past ten years he has combined a technical career with part-time writing. His first book, The Rage, took three years to write, but since then he has self-published another five novels, including the Decimation trilogy, The Colour of the Soul and Assassin’s Web. In addition to the full-length novels, Richard’s short stories have been published in anthologies by Bloodhound Books, Corona Books and Bridge House Publishing.

In an updated release, we are publishing the best 100 entries of our finalists in CrimeBits, all read, selected and judged by Lee Child. The shortlisted entrants will be announced very shortly, so keep your eyes out! Read the winner’s comment below!

In addition to writing challenges, editor’s notes, crime trivia, brain-teasers, and puzzles by well-known puzzle-makers, the book also features a foreword by Luca Veste, the internationally bestselling author of eight novels and the host of the hit podcast Two Crime Writers and a Microphone. Read his comment below!

PREORDER HERE https://blackspringpressgroup.com/products/crimebits

31/05/2024

Black Spring Press Group will publish CrimeBits: 100 opening gambits for great thrillers & linked mystery puzzles, an interactive crime story and puzzle book, coming this July.

All will be revealed this afternoon.

30/05/2024

We could murder a good crime book 🔪 ... tomorrow's the day!

29/05/2024

We’re dying 🩸 to hear about our newest release! Friday's the DAY.

29/05/2024

Thanks for the feature The Crime Writers' Association appreciate! Congratulations Clare Grant on your fantastic book!

👇 📚 Check out June's amazing new releases from Penny Batchelor, Jane Bettany, Charlie Cochrane, Jane Corry, Helena Dixon, Jess Faraday, Clare Grant, Kate Hardy, Scott Hunter, KB Jackson, Dean Jobb, Bryan J Mason, Rob McInroy, Rachel McLean and Millie Ravensworth, Maureen Myant, Sarah Rayne, Miranda Rijks, Pauline Rowson, Michael Sinclair, Fiona Veitch Smith, Jennifer Lee Thomson and Howard of Warwick! 📖👇

28/05/2024

Something's coming... the suspense is killing us.

We're revealing piece a day until Friday.

Any guesses?

20/05/2024

It is release day for Leslie Tate's incredible book "Ways To Be Equally Human" so a massive CONGRATULATIONS is due.

It is full of lyrical writing, humour and quirky insights, this is a book for lovers of language, nonconformists and passionate thinkers. It's a clear-eyed account of how we live today, including computer stress, noisy neighbours, guided meditation and the spirit of rebellion inside the machine. It's also a love hymn to Leslie's partner and the planet.

Grab a copy HERE https://blackspringpressgroup.com/products/ways-to-be-equally-human

Read our Author Q & A with Leslie HERE
https://blackspringpressgroup.com/blogs/news/author-q-and-a-with-leslie-tate

18/05/2024

Loving Strangers: A Camphorwood Chest, A Legacy, A Son Returns written by Jay Prosser is our next Saturday Spotlight and has had an impressive introduction into the world.

It has already won the Hazel Rowley Prize for the best proposal for a first-time biographer and was shortlisted for the Tony Lothian Prize for the best unpublished biography. It’s a Jewish book, but not Just a Jewish book.

It moves Jewish writing away from its customary setting of the Holocaust and Europe, transporting Jewish identity instead to Iraq, India, China and Singapore: places and cultures that most people (including Jews themselves) don’t associate with Jewish identity. It shows Jews integrating with others, not divisive, not separate: not antagonistic. The issue of intermarriage is increasingly important for all racial groups and this book speaks beyond the Jewish community, in relation to how we treat strangers in the form of immigrants and other communities.

Claudia Roden, (CBE) is a Egyptian-born British writer and cultural anthropologist and calls Loving Strangers "A beautiful and moving story that brings to life a fascinating part of Jewish history"

Lily Dunn, Author of Sins of My Father: A Daughter, A Cult, A Wild Unravelling, co-founder London Lit Lab, writes “Jay’s story is rich and fascinating. Through the prism of a family memoir, he shines a light on in*******al marriage and its legacy, stories that have been previously taboo. He has written a beautiful book that will resonate with anyone who is interested in underrepresented cultures, and he is bold enough to rewrite history as we know it.”

Loving Strangers is available to preorder now, https://blackspringpressgroup.com/products/loving-strangers

15/05/2024

Don’t Falter our fantastically brilliant espionage tale from Christopher Chase Walker is in store in &

This is such a fantastic title, if you’re lucky enough to be close to the beach grab yourself a copy!

08/05/2024

In need of a gripping read? We have 6! Ready to go!

Hot off the press: The Black Spring Crime Series from !

The series currently boasts six fantastic titles from Rob McClure, JK Nottingham, , Clare Grant, , & Tristan Walker.

The Black Spring Crime Series has been curated by crime writer and endorsed by giants of crime fiction, , , and .

You can find The Black Spring Crime Series novels via this link: https://buff.ly/3Wu4mn2.

Rob McClure's The Scotsman, winner of The Black Spring Crime Fiction 2020 Prize.
Chic Cowan, a Glaswegian Detective, embarks on a relentless journey to find his daughter's killer in a divided America. His pursuit for justice uncovers a conspiracy that challenges societal norms.

J.K. Nottingham's Jasper's Brood.
Jasper, a trained assassin raised by a killer, now faces the return of his protégé, Gulliver. As he reveals his past and family secrets, a relentless force threatens to destroy everything he's built.

C.J. Howell's ( on Twitter) The Salt Cutter.
A soldier in Bolivia, 1991, faces a relentless pursuit in the town of Uyuni. He must escape to the border to survive, but is he willing to push past his limits in order to do so?

Clare Grant's Winter of Shadows.
In midwinter 1862, a series of sinister deaths haunts York's medieval streets. Ada Fawkes, a crime scene photographer, must confront her past with DI Sam Straker to stop a killer.

Zepahniah Sole's ( on Twitter) A Crime In The Land of 7,000 Islands.
Amidst a gripping police procedural, Ikigai shares her story with her daughter using fantastical allegory, revealing the impact of exploitation, inequality, and generational trauma.

Tristan Walker's Creative Justice.
Jason Griffith, a former Navy SEAL, returns to Trinidad after serving with the US Special Forces. Struggling to reintegrate, he joins old friends who are now car thieves to make quick cash.

07/05/2024

Over the weekend, Jasmine Games Poetry launched her incredible book Somebody's Daughter. Read below for some great photos and a comment from Jasmine after the fantastic night!

PLEASE BUY A COPY OF THIS INCREDIBLE BOOK HERE
https://blackspringpressgroup.com/products/somebodys-daughter

Over the weekend, I joyously marked the launch of my debut full-length poetry collection, Somebody’s Daughter. Surrounded by an abundance of love from family, friends, and colleagues at The VORTEX, the atmosphere was serene.

With the wonderful Indiia Wilmott as our MC, the event featured an array of talented Black poets – Mirakol Jade, K.C. Breedlove, Chris Formey, Sariya Harris, Dalanda, and Alexandria Collins – each performing poems around the theme of childhood. Their generous words, reflecting on my commitment to friendship, competitive spirit in slams, the often-overlooked accomplishment of my master’s degree, and my advocacy within our community, moved me to tears. Especially poignant was when my mentee, Alexandria Collins, took the stage to share a brand-new poem.

Clothed in a vibrant green satin dress with my locs adorned in colorful pearls, I basked in the glow of hot pink light, highlighting the glitter dusted on my cheeks. In that luminous moment, I realized that the relentless effort poured into my craft since childhood, as just somebody’s daughter, had not been in vain.

My sincere appreciation extends to The Black Spring Press Group for their unwavering support throughout this journey. This book of poetry is not just a publication but a work of art. My greatest aspiration is for my words to resonate deeply with readers, forging a connection where our shared stories intertwine.

04/05/2024

Our author Catherine Swire featured in today’s Daily Mail. Super exciting press!

04/05/2024

Vince Colletta was an inker for Marvel Comics in the early 1960s, working during the silver age of comic books. His son Franklin has created this incredible illustrated biography, “Drawn to Beauty: Vince Colletta Life and Art”, full of his father’s work - something which we’re sure will be a collectable for any comic aficionado.

The great Stan Lee said, “just mention the name Vinnie Colletta and the first thing that comes to mind is his gorgeous portrayal of beautiful females in his artwork. When I first met Vinnie and he showed me his art samples I was overwhelmed. I had never seen anyone depict beautiful women in romance stories as dramatically or as glamorously.”

Preorder this beautiful book, and gift it to your comic book friends!

30/04/2024

This will be a wonderful launch event for our prize-winning poet Jasmine Games

29/04/2024

Jaspers Brood by J K Nottingham - Author is having a great day on Amazon today! - click the link to buy the Kindle version for just 99P!!!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jaspers-Brood-Black-Spring-Crime-ebook/dp/B0CJMWT4B4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3BXHUW51Z6WN2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QHzZA7bT_xN2Vf_0ZK5CJ8Nf2dveNHIKzZcSOngn0d_ytDFs1queYnoedLWpNtbEL9ilwuicNneVHCO0x6fusA.ZWEg5eZmrxDck8mAPiNwjPVWEEu5cy9MBObBbwoUypo&dib_tag=se&keywords=jaspers+brood&qid=1714405572&sprefix=jaspers+broo%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-1

29/04/2024

Last week Helen Vendler, one of the leading poetry critics in the US, passed away aged 90. She had and impassioned reading style and often wrote for The New Yorker and other publications.

27/04/2024

Winter of Shadows is our latest Saturday Spotlight and our newest release from the Black Spring Crime Series, endorsed by UK crime fiction giants, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Lee Child.

Clare Grant's debut novel is nothing short of a page turner. The story is set in York in the midwinter of 1862, when a young woman is found dead by the river, her body marked by a sinister act of mutilation. The mysterious death spreads paranoia and fear, for this is not the first co**se to be discovered. Speculation grows there is a killer stalking the city’s medieval streets.

The main protagonists of the historical thriller are Ada Fawkes, the country’s one and only crime scene photographer and DI Sam Straker. The Yard’s best detective is dispatched from London to work with Ada. He is a man she knows all too well. Straker and Ada have a shared past and his unexpected arrival rekindles traumatic memories of their last investigation. They know they need their combined skills and experience to solve this mystery. This book will enthrall crime, thriller and romance readers alike, with danger and will-they-won't they questions at every turn.

Preorder this brilliant book now, https://blackspringpressgroup.com/products/winter-of-shadows it won't be dangerous to get yourselves a copy!

26/04/2024

THIS IS HUGE. Very grateful to The Times for interviewing our director Todd Swift and putting us, and our Crime Series and upcoming competitions today! Thank you to Lee Child and Val McDermid 🖋️📰📚🔪🩸

Todd Swift, owner of the Black Spring Press Group, says it is getting harder for independent publishers to remain viable amid fierce competition

25/04/2024

Sasha Stiles Cursive Binary Fragments on display for London. Thursday 25 July at Charing Cross Road. Such an incredible experience to see the poems literally jump off the pages.

22/04/2024

RIP to the great Jerome Rothenberg, who published more than seventy books and was one of the major American poet-anthologists of the past century and was loved by many.

21/04/2024

We hereby conduct this meeting of the Tortured Poets Department. Yesterday’s Saturday Spotlight was delayed because of the distraction of the album release. But this special Sunday edition is excited to share with you, Taylor Swift: The Story of Her Eras.

has been listening to her music for sixteen years (and counting) and is ready to tell two histories at the same time; hers and Taylor’s.

Arguably one of the industry’s best songwriters Taylor Swift has been at the top of her game gathering fans and singing to stadiums around the world. Her economy-shifting Eras tour makes its way to Europe and the UK in just under three weeks and this biography will take you through 11 albums and 18 years of lyrics, stories, re-recordings and controversies, setting a precedent in the music industry to allow artists to demand ownership.

There are bigger issues at play in her lyrics; gender politics, important mental health conversations, the building of an enormous musical community while maintaining that letter-writing pen pal dynamic with fans. With songwriting still her biggest asset, Taylor Swift has many more decades of music to come, this is the definitive treatment of her work to date.

Preorder via the link 🔗 https://blackspringpressgroup.com/products/taylor-swift-the-story-of-her-eras

The first 1,000 preorders of this special hardcover edition will receive a friendship bracelet and have their names published at the back of the book.

21/04/2024

wrote a book about joining a small writing group and writing every day - and how that helped him help cope with anxiety and fear that so many felt during the pandemic. But this book is ALSO about friendship and family, mental health, understanding and love.

Inside you will find a collection of reflections taken from moments in the writer’s life as well as notes on the activities and writing games that inspired him, in the hope that it may help others. It’s such a fantastic read. Click the link HERE --- https://blackspringpressgroup.com/products/a-very-short-book-about-writing to find out for yourselves!