Root is a collection of short stories which re-affirm the North-East's status as a vibrant area for new writing. The subjects of the 13 stories on show here range from the domestic - family relationships, gardening, bullying, adoption and loss - to the plain bizarre: a circus bearded lady, a woman who morphs into Elvis, and an insight into what God wears to work. The writers featured in Root include Avril Joy, Fiona Cooper, Amanda Baker and Rob Walton. Kitty Fitzgerald was born in Ireland, and now lives in Northumberland. A poet, playwright and novelist, her latest novel is Pigtopia (Faber, 2006), critically acclaimed in the Independent and the Scotsman and a finalist in the Barnes & Noble Discover Awards in the US in 2006. She has edited two anthologies of fiction for Iron Press: Iron Women: New Stories by Women (1990) and Biting Back: New Fiction from the North (2001). In 2009 her story 'The Bones of St Ignatious' won the Latitude Festival / Notes from the Underground short-story competition. This book is also available as a eBook. Buy it from Amazon here.

Fifteen new stories from North East writers including Costa Award winner Avril Joy and Mslexia Short Story Competition winner Beda Higgins. Root is a collection of short stories which re-affirm the North-East's status as a vibrant area for new writing. The subjects of the 13 stories on show here range from the domestic - family relationships, gardening, bullying, adoption and loss - to the plain bizarre: a circus bearded lady, a woman who morphs into Elvis, and an insight into what God wears to work.