Reimagining Mary Llewellyn, a collection of short stories written by contemporary Welsh and Wales-based writers, and edited by Elizabeth English, Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Cardiff Metropolitan University, will be published in 2028 as part of the international project 100 Years of The Well of Loneliness.
Parthian Books announce an open call for expressions of interest. Those selected for commission and publication will receive a professional fee of £400 funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council funding.
100 Years of The Well of Loneliness is an international research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The project will explore the rich reception histories of the most famous banned novel in LGBTQ+ history, Radclyffe Hall’s The Well of Loneliness. Published and banned as obscene in the UK in 1928, The Well of Loneliness has offered support and affirmation to generations of readers across the world. Despite its status as the so-called ‘Lesbian Bible’, the novel has also alienated, offended, shocked, and divided readers and continues to inspire debates about its politics, value, and place in the literary canon and LGBTQ+ culture.
The novel follows the journey of Stephen Gordon whose lover is Mary Llewellyn, a Welsh woman represented in disparaging terms: uneducated, helpless, animalistic, voiceless. But what is Mary’s real story?
This anthology will rewrite, or reimagine, the story of Mary Llewellyn, giving a voice to a character constructed from stereotypes of Welsh identity. In doing this, these stories will reconsider this important, and problematic, novel from the vantage point of the 21st century to explore what this book means for writers today.
To be considered for the anthology, please send a 300-500 word short story proposal, a 500-1000 word sample of your writing and a 50-100 word biography to the editor, Elizabeth English at eenglish@cardiffmet.ac.uk by Friday 17th April 2026. Writers should be Welsh nationals or residing in Wales, inclusive of all ethnicities, genders, and sexualities. We welcome proposals from people at any stage of their writing careers. Feel free to get in touch with questions or to discuss potential ideas. Full drafts should be 2500-5000 words and are due in January 2027.