The latest anthology from the Furry Historical Fiction Society, The Wideness of the World, was released last Saturday and we hosted a launch party to celebrate.

Taking place on Twitch, 10 of the 17 authors featured discussed their stories as well as reading excerpts from them. We were also joined by publisher Jaye Coates of Transcendent Fiction Publishing and editor Alex T. Dragonson.

I was at FURUM – a furry convention in Malaysia – and despite it being 4am, I managed to attend the stream. Initially, I was only expecting to lurk in the background, but was given the opportunity to speak about my story, ‘Back to the Molly House’. Despite the early hour, I hope I was coherent enough, although I was initially thwarted by internet issues. I think I got into the swing of things though and was happy that I decided to get some sleep prior to the event rather than partying and turning up drunk (which would have been an absolute disaster in hindsight).

I was more awake for the final half hour Q&A, where the audience could ask us questions. Some of these were addressed to individual authors, while others were more general about the process of creating such an anthology. I found this particularly engaging and was delighted to be able to contribute to the discussion. This is the first time I have featured in an FHFS collection and it’s still a thrill to have a story included alongside some of my favourite authors, many of whom have been my inspiration.

Being involved in such a collaborative project for the first time has been really eye-opening and I’ve learned a great deal about the work that goes into creating a published book. Working alongside so many fantastic writers has been a pleasure and I’m looking forward to getting involved in future editions.

The event lasted 90 minutes and I really enjoyed participating. I hope the audience found it equally enjoyable. If you missed it, you can check it out on the Itona’s Fuzzy VODs channel on YouTube.

You can also buy The Wideness of the World direct from Transcendent Fiction Publishing or The Book Badgers if you happen to be in the UK.