Writers News

Hags Harlots and Heroines

It started out as a bit of a joke amongst friends who swapped tales and stories of groundbreaking women from history, myth and legend, but in the past year over 1,000 people have joined in too, forming a dynamic, new online community.

Now this vibrant storytelling site, Hags Harlots and Heroines (www.hagsharlotsheroines.com) run by four published writers and friends, Helen and Laura Wilkinson, Becky Bradford and Elizabeth Donnelly, is offering worships, considering and anthology and applying for Arts Council funding.

As the name implies, they publish writing about women, more specifically historical figures, real or invented, and offer a ‘creative and playful forum’ for showing how sexual politics, and the role of women in society, is constantly evolving. Although their main focus is female characters, around one third of the members are men and their contribution is encouraged.

You do have to be a member to post stories but it is free to register and members can access a rich range of content about women that have inspired over the ages.

‘It is essentially a labour of love project,’ explained founder, Brighton-based Laura Wilkinson who has a journalist background and juggles the site with her freelance work and two young children. ‘It appeals to anyone who is interested in creative writing and how the past informs the present. We publish the work of established writers such as Maureen Freely but a lot of our submissions come from new writers, although it is not completely open access.

‘We are not literary snobs,’ she added, ‘but we want to maintain the standard of work on the site.’

The HHH team chaired a debate at this year’s Spit Lit festival where author, Preethi Nair contributed. Her first novel was rejected by editors so she published it herself but two years later, when her story hit the papers, she was offered a three-book deal by HarperCollins. Still, it isn’t always easy, even with a major publishing deal… She was, she said ‘horrified; to see that the paperback cover of Beyond Indigo, based on her own life, was in pastels, and featured a blonde, white woman.

The site thrives on feedback from members, explaining why they enjoyed a story, discussing stories in the news which reflect the changes in gender roles, or sharing tips and advice about the creative writing process and they are always on the lookout for new volunteers to read and review books.