Stryvling Press

@stryvlingpress.bsky.social

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Publisher | https://shop.stir.ac.uk/product-catalogue/faculties/faculty-of-arts-and-humanities/crossroads-ebook https://shop.stir.ac.uk/product-catalogue/faculties/faculty-of-arts-and-humanities/crossroads-paperback

Crossroads sits on a lectern where authors gave readings of their work. Photo credit to John Morton Photography who can be found on Instagram.
Image of the printed edition of "Crossroads" sat next to empty prosecco glasses and a thoroughly enjoyed cupcake.
Join us: June 4th 5.00-7.00pm. Albert Halls, Stirling. A night of reading's and author q+a's. Dresscode encouraged but not enforced: Come in green or on theme!
Louise Gow- author of The Lonely Woman Louise is a current Creative writing masters student who writes mainly young adult fiction with a mix of thriller/romance and sometimes mental health themed poetry. She graduated with an undergraduate degree in Primary Education and recently wrote a children's book for Scottish children's charity A Bear Named Buttony. She is passionate about writing and is loving the course along with the lovely community at Stirling University.  [Image of Louise smiling with an indoor background]
Catherine Ogston- Author of The Black Book Catherine Ogston writes flash fiction, short stories and longer YA fiction. Flash pieces have been published by Bath Flash, Flash 500, TL;DR Press, Firewords, The Phare, National Flash Fiction Day 2020-25 and others. Short stories have been published in New Writing Scotland 35 & 39, Scottish Arts Trust, Leicester Writes Prize, Retreat West Prize and others. Longer work has been long/short listed at Exeter Novel Prize, Caledonia Novel Award, Kelpies Prize for Children’s Writing and others. Recent winner of the Fabuly Writers’ Challenge and upcoming in Best Microfictions 2025. [Image of Catherine in front of plants.]
James Howard- Author of Finn Folk and The Last Haggis in Scotland James Howard is the writing team liason for this years Styvling press anthology. He is from Shetland, and writes mostly poetry, along with some prose and scriptwriting. He is particularly interested in dialect poems, and the use of second person in poetry and fiction. His pieces for the anthology centre around Scottish Folklore, and aim to highlight Scottish language and culture in a unique and humorous manner. [Image of James in the crook of a brick alley]
Dhanya Baburaj- Author of Haunted A selective introvert who loves to read and write poetry, memoir and romance stories, she was born in rural Kerala but grew up in Mumbai, a metropolitan city in India. Her love for words began at an early age through reading of classical works in English and Malayalam (language spoken in Kerala). Her fascination with English literature started with reading Bram Stoker's Dracula at 8 years old. In her free time, besides reading and writing, she loves to explore places, especially beaches; listen to music; and paint landscapes. [Image of Dhanya in front of the coastline]
E. Olsen- Author of Get Lost Writes hopeful near-future speculative fiction, blending elements of solarpunk and hopepunk to reimagine our world in her novels. This short story, a departure from her usual work, reimagines Hansel and Gretel as an origin story of the Slavic folklore figure Baba Yaga. It was inspired by her daughter creating necklaces for the family as safety amulets after a turkey feast. Thanks be to the poultry. [Image of tree with sprawling branches and leaves]
Image contains Stryvling logo, a star graphic and the text "introducing some of our amazing authors". All images in this thread are on a watercolour blue and green background.
Join us for 'Crossroads' Book Launch: June 4th 5.00-7.00pm. Albert Halls, Stirling For a night of readings and author q&a’s. Dress code: Come in green or on theme! (So anything mystical, magical or mythical!)
Image features book cover for Crossroads: A creative writing anthology from the students at the University of Stirling.
Crossroads Cover Reveal, coming May 16th
Seven years of stunning covers and one more about to drop. Shows the previous book covers we have designed.
Project Manager Jose discusses Stryvling Press and the wider publishing climate with Ringwood Publishing Podcast. Listen now to hear about: -The first screenplay to be featured in a Stryvling Press anthology -Rejection and the publishing process -The endurance of the written word, in particular the fantasy genre And more! S5E6 of The Ringwood Publishing Podcast.
Would you rather? Crossroads Edition. Swipe to choose your path!
Image features the text 'Vice-Chancellor's Fund Award Ceremony- thank you for your support!' it is accompanied by a collage of images: Image 1- Project management team Jose and Racheal with the Vice-Chancellor Image 2- Backdrop of the event Image 3- Our certificate for received support from the Vice-Chancellor's Fund Image 4- A group photo of recipients holding their certificates
Whispers leave, and the grotesque city slowly becomes more and more oppressive. The buildings harbour no horrors or harm I try to convince myself, but the ever-persistent images of the past scattered within them come and go in flashes and refuse to let up. In the face of my inevitably waning life, I decide to go further on into the city. From ‘A Decadent Company’’ by Utku Soyal Sonder 2024
I turn your bones to ash and soil, Too diseased for flowers to bloom. My petals are pretty But my pollen is poison And everything is decomposing. I have polluted you. From ‘Fen’ by Francesca Parsons In the Flesh 2023
If I were a book, I would be a fable A piece of furniture - a wobbly table ‘A mental illness, you just need a label. Snap out of the slump, you used to be Mabel.’ From ‘You Used to be Mabel’ by Trish Stafanovic Solas 2022
For every Friday night utopia there wis an equal and opposing Sunday morning chasm. Otherwise, it wis an in between place ae potent purgatory, endless longings ae elsewhere never really satiated by any substance. From ‘The Mad Hoose’ by Graeme Armstrong Pharos 2021
The lads are out. In thrall to the rain and rottenness. You’ll see them scurry, their eyes twinkling in amongst the mash of things unwanted, unloved, untended. This is the town where scurrying things find all they need. From ‘The Lads’ by Maurice Gartshore Time and Tide 2020
Deep down in my dry season well where I take the shallow breathes where the lowered bucket clatters on stone where no one will drink me for disease I know I can’t stop cramming two lines into one. I am too much for the piece of paper you’ve assigned. From ‘A4 Piece of Paper’ by Tineke Hegeman Bryson Circling the Point 2019
Dread tugged at his insides, heavier and stronger than the panic. This was a hello that needed to be reciprocated in some manner, a greeting imprinted in him, words that did not fade. From 'The Deity' by Kevin Macgowan Inklings 2018
Like the quote? Read the book! Inklings, Circling the Point, Time and Tide, Solas, Pharos, In the Flesh, Sonder. Swipe to find out which of our previous titles you should read based on the quote that captures your attention!
Our beloved characters stand in a place of contemplation, caught between the past and the future, between this world and the Other, wondering where the roads before them will lead… Stryvling 2025 welcomes you to the space between. [Graphic of a person standing in front of two paths.] Stryvling Press introduces to you our 2025 title. Crossroads
Win a book bundle! Thursday 3rd April, 1pm-4pm. Atrium, University of Stirling. £3 a strip of £2 strips for £5. (Cash only)
Image shows new playlist: 2025 Title! Title announcement coming soon. Book available May 2025. 52 songs, 3 hr 29 min.
Image contains a QR code for our Spotify account. Our page can also be found by searching 'Stryvling Press' on Spotify.
Image features a screenshot of Stryvling Press's Instagram account and their latest reel.
Catriona Leys, Business and Administration team. A book cover you could not take your eyes off? The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada is a favourite cover of mine because it is a work of art. That cover alone justified my purchase
Emmanuel Omeiza Momoh, Business and Administration team. A book you could not put down? A book I couldn’t put down was Why You Act the Way You Do by Tim LaHaye. It transformed how I see myself and others, offering clarity about personality traits and emotional dynamics. It helped me navigate relationships with greater understanding and compassion.
Meet the Team: Business and Administration
Molly Richardson, Marketing and Sales Team. A book you could not put down? A Song of Dark Tides by Beka Westrup because I adored the writing style. It’s got a bit of spice but it’s done in a really refined, enjoyable way!
Alessia Bora, Marketing and Sales Team. A line from a book that you'll never forget? “Take life lightly, for lightness is not superficiality, but a gliding over things from above, without letting things weigh on your heart.” - from American lessons by Italo Calvino. It's my daily reminder to not take everything to heart and to let things slide without letting them drag me down. And if something bad happens, it is what it is.
Khushi Shokeen, Marketing and Sales Team. A line from a book that you'll never forget? “Only since meeting you have I rediscovered how simple it is to be happy” from Heaven Official’s Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu Vol. 4 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. As someone who used to keep waiting for the right moment to be happy, this quote made me realise how being happy is such a simple thing that we tend to forget due to the stress of life. It just stuck with me.
Chloe Richardson, Marketing and Sales Manager. A book cover you could not take your eyes off? After seeing the cover-art on Andrew Joseph White’s book The Spirit Bares its Teeth , I immediately bought it. Evangeline Gallagher’s artwork is too visceral and haunting for me to do it justice in words.
Meet the Team: Marketing and Sales
Wanming Xu, Design and Layout Team. A line from a book that you'll never forget? “The Translator dances in shackles” from Bable by R.F Kuang. When I read foreign literature, the choice of translation has been bothering me, this sentence perfectly explains my trouble.
Elz Young, Design and Layout Team. A line from a book that you'll never forget? One of my favorite quotes is from my all-time favorite book, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: "Take my books away and I should be desperate!...But I've most of them written on my brain and printed in my heart, and you cannot deprive me of those!" All my life, I've been surrounded by the fictional worlds I've immersed myself in and it makes everything feel brighter.
Leah Cameron, Design and Layout Team. A book you could not put down? Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. It's disgusting and horrifying while managing to make you root for the most insane people you can think of. I've never read anything like it!
Olivia Wood, Design and Layout Lead. A book cover that you could not take your eyes off? That would have to be Queer: A collection of LGBTQ stories from ancient times to yesterday by Frank Wynne, its absolutely stunning and mixes the old with the new (both visually and thematically)
Meet the team: Design and Layout
Chelsey Hahmann, Production Assistant. A book that you could not put down? The one that comes to mind is Educated by Tara Westover. I really enjoyed her style of writing and found her story fascinating!
Konna Papanikolaou, Production Controller. A line from a book that you'll never forget? The quote I will never forget is Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice. To paraphrase, ‘You are ugly, you are poor, you are stupid and I am too cool and smart to marry you but I love you nonetheless.’ A+.
Jasmine James, Production Manager. “Come, Mr. Frodo!” he cried. “I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you.” From The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien. I chose this line because Sam is the best boy and the true hero of Lord Of The Rings.
Meet the Team: Production
Amber Clydesdale, Editorial Team. A line from a book that you'll never forget? “Then Emma Mayhew dies, and everything that she thought or felt vanishes and is gone forever.” - From One Day by David Nicholls. I love slightly tragic romances, and this has always stuck with me due to its gut-wrenching simplicity.
Kayla Dougan, Editorial Team A book cover that you could not take your eyes off? The OG Picador American Psycho cover painted by Marshall Arisman. Like his other works, it’s just so visually grotesque and striking that I can’t help but comment on it whenever I spot the book in person.
Hannah Morton, Editorial Team. A line from a book that you'll never forget? “Fiction is like a spider's web, attached ever so lightly perhaps, but still attached to life at all four corners.” From A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. I love this quote because the metaphor just sticks with me.
Cora Brown, Editorial Team Lead. A book you could not put down? I don’t often read books in just one sitting but I couldn’t put down Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. Carrie has been my hero since I was a little kid and once again she helped me through a difficult time with this tragically funny memoir.
Meet the Team: Editorial
Racheal Kizza, Project Manager's Assistant. A line from a book that you'll never forget? "My mother and I flew out of our seats and hollered until our throats were hoarse." From How to Say Babylon: A Jamaican Memoir by Safiya Sinclair. I was rooting for Safiya to receive the life-changing good news. When it came, I celebrated with her and her mother. Her victory felt like my victory.
Jose Maria Nava, Project Manager. A book you could not put down? The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, I started reading it as a bet with a friend, and the worldbuilding and story completely trapped me. It's such a very different vibe and aesthetic to other fantasy novels I'd read before.
Image features a green moon and the text 'Meet the Team: Project Management'
Image features the text "International Women's Day 2025" and is accompanied by nine book covers, listed below: - A Room of One's Own-Virginia Woolf - Gender Trouble, Judith Butler - Sister, Outsider-Audre Lorde - Invisible Women-Caroline Criado Perez -The Heart of a Woman-Maya Angelou -Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982-Cho Nam-Joo -The Second Sex- Simone de Beauvoir -Girl, Woman, Other- Bernadine Evaristo -The Edible Woman, Margaret Atwood
Image features the Stryvling swan logo on a green background with the message "Happy World Book Day- from the team at Stryvling Press".
Image features the book "Sonder" on a yellow bed. Image has been reposted from Facebook.
Image features the book 'In the Flesh' held in front of campus loch.
Image features the book "Solas" held in front of daffodils. Image has been reposted from Instagram.
Image features the book "Pharos" settled on a rock on the shore of a beach. In the background, a person can be seen walking close to the sea. (Image has been reposted from Instagram.)