A COMMUNITY writing group is preparing to release a collaborative publication brimming with tales conjured up during the first national lockdown.

Colchester Writenight, formed in 2011 and comprised of authors and inspiring guests, will launch its Short Prose Collection later this month.

The book has been edited by Sue Dawes and Emma Kittle-Pey and features compelling stories from Sarah Armstrong, Annie Bell, Doug Smith, and many more.

The anthology, which has adopted an ‘open book’ theme, boasts funny, emotional and scary works concocted throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

A.L. Kennedy, who wrote the book’s introduction said: “A portrait of the real Essex: sexy, funny, cultured, close to Europe, wild and fond of skulduggery in the dark.”

Colchester Writenight’s Short Prose Collection will be published on October 29 and cost £9 per copy from patricianpress.com.