404 Ink – förlag

In the UK, around one in six men will experience some form of sexual violence. Many of these men who experience sexual abuse are dismissed, only brought up as the butt of a joke, an exception to the rule or, perhaps at worst, are used as a rhetorical tool against female victims. Conversations on sexual violence have understandably focused on women’s voices and experiences, with data indicating that women are still the majority of victims and not enough is being done to prevent this violence. As most perpetrators of this violence against women are men, it becomes almost easy to mistake that male survivors stories are exceptions or irrelevances. The fact is that we share a world and our experiences are closely interwoven.Sons and Others challenges misconceptions and misrepresentations of sexual violence against men across media and society and offers a new way of seeing and understanding these men in our lives, asking how the violence they experience affects us all.

When an ex-catholic woman develops a sexual relationship with a vampire, she is forced to confront the memories that haunt her religious past. Struggling to deal with the familial trauma of her Catholic upbringing, hotel cleaner, Noelle, travels to the Isle of Bute. There, she meets a man who claims to be a vampire, and a relationship blooms between them based solely on confession. But as talk turns sacrilegious, and the weather outside grows colder, Noelle struggles to come to terms with her blasphemous sexuality. She becomes hounded by memories of her past: her mother’s affair with the local priest, and the part she played in ending it.

When you think of ‘gambling’ you might think of Vegas casinos, betting shops and football flutters but the risk of gambling is embedded in numerous corners of popular culture that many of us consume. By considering the concept of ‘soft gambling’, No Dice asks how we could possibly link the Pokémon Trading Card Game with gambling. Can we compare Netflix to a night at the theatre? When does fictional gambling within video games go too far with their infamous loot boxes? Does such risk affect everyone or are socio-economic divides driving further inequality?No Dice explores the messy world of gambling and risk that we encounter regularly, from childhood through adulthood, considering if it is worth the risk and if we even know what risks we might be taking.

In the anticipated follow-up collection to 2015's award-winning On the Edges of Vision, Helen McClory returns delving deeper into descriptively mythical yet recognisable stories woven from dark and light, human fear and fortune. Swimming and suffering. Spikes loom ever-threatening. A weight against the throat. Sea where the dead lie pressed into a layer of silt. A silent documentary through a terrible place. Mary Somerville, future Queen of Science. A coven of two. Mayhem & Death is the matured, darker companion to On the Edges of Vision and shows McClory's ever expanding ability to envelop and entrance her readers with lyrical language of lore, stunning settings and curious characters. Mayhem & Death also introduces the brand new novella Powdered Milk, a tale for the lost.

You're probably familiar with tired cliches around gaming culture in the media... that video games are violent and damaging. That they're for children, or society's outcasts; for the lazy and those without purpose. Joe Donnelly is here to tell you that video games, in fact, save lives. They saved his. Inspired by his own experience navigating depression following a tragic personal loss, Checkpoint reflects on the comforting and healing effect that entering into new digital worlds and narratives can have on mental health both personally and on a wider scale. From the big-budget triple A studios, to the one-person indie set-ups, there are thousands of eye-opening games exploring human complexities overtly and subtly all waiting to enthrall and comfort players old and new. Through exclusive, in-depth interviews with video game developers, health professionals, charities and gamers alike, Joe makes the case for the vital value of gaming culture and why we should be more open minded and willing to pick up a controller if not for fun, for the well-being of ourselves and our loved ones.Shortlisted for the Saltire Society's Non-Fiction Book of the Year.

School teaches us the myth of Black apathy, savagery, and helplessness, that slavery was inevitable, and that Black people have little power to resist and overcome its consequences. But We Did lays out this idea for what it is: a well-rehearsed lie exchanging snug high-fives with white supremacy. Bringing forth resistance histories that have conveniently been left out and deconstructing the impact misinformation and racist narratives have on society, particularly Black youths, Farukuoye takes readers beyond merely understanding the horrors of slavery and offers tools to challenge these narratives confidently in our own sphere of influence – be it at the dinner table, work, school, with friends or as part of an organisation. But We Did engages in the collective challenge of undoing colonialist systems and imagining a society free of its legacies.

From the streets of working class Scotland, and on occasion, a little beyond our solar system, comes one of the country s most hilarious debut writers. Putting surreal and witty twists on the everyday, Chris McQueer creates recognisable characters you will love and want to avoid like the plague. Peter s earned his night off, and there's not a bloody chance he's covering Shelley's shift. He just needs to find some pals for the perfect cover story. Deek is going to be at the forefront of the outsider art movement and do Banksy proud. Davie loves tattoos and his latest is going to be a masterpiece. Tam is one of the most creative minds in the galaxy (apparently), but creating parallel universes can cause problems. Everybody on Earth wakes up with their knees on backwards. He caught folks imagination on Medium with his stories, had rooms howling with laughter on the spoken word circuit, and now it s time to put Chris McQueer on the page. Are you ready? Winner of the Outstanding Literature Award at the Scottish Culture Awards

Here We F**king Go (HWFG) is the much-anticipated follow up to Chris McQueer s hilarious, award-winning debut short story collection Hings. In HWFG... Your fave Sammy gets a job and Angie goes to Craig Tara. Plans are made to kick the f*ck out of Kim Jong-Un. You ll find answers to the big questions in life: What happens when we die? What does Brexit actually mean? Why are moths terrifying? What are ghosts like to live with? It s just a load more short stories n that. hwfg x

From drag queens and discos, to black holes and monsters, these stories and poems wrestle with love and loneliness and the fight to be seen. By turns serious and fantastical, hilarious and confrontational, We Were Always Here addresses the fears, mysteries, wonders and variety of experience that binds our community together. We Were Always Here is a snapshot of current Scottish LGBTI+ writing and a showcase of queer talent.

We like Jeff Goldblum. You like Jeff Goldblum. Helen McClory really likes Jeff Goldblum.The Goldblum Variations is a collection of flash fiction, stories and games on the one and only Jeff Goldblum as he, and alternate versions of himself, travels through the known (and unknown) universe in a mighty celebration of weird and wonderful Goldbluminess. Maybe he's cooking, maybe he's wearing a nice jumper, maybe he's reading this very book. The possibilities are endless. Treat yourself, because all that glitters is Goldblum.Unofficial and unaffiliated.

Noah spends his nights drifting between North London pubs and music venues, and his days sleeping off hangovers in the stock room of the floundering record shop where he works. He tries not to think about what will happen when his NHS-allocated therapy hours run out and he’s left alone with his mind again. After years away, his favourite band Smiling Politely announce a last-minute set in a nearby venue and everything starts to shift. When the crowd turns violent, Noah runs into the street and meets Dylan, the charming local barman he’s never had the courage to approach. Pulled into a toxic and co-dependent relationship with Dylan and his brooding, enigmatic friend Fraser, Noah bounces distractedly between sweaty gigs and clubs, swapping beds and friends along the way. The upcoming Smiling Politely album is a beacon of hope for Noah who craves the connection he finds in their music yet lacks elsewhere, but he has to ask himself what he’s willing to lose – friendships, dignity, even his sense of self – to just feel like he belongs."A sweaty, sticky mosh pit of a novel" - i-D

Beginning with a story of an ex sex-worker drifting through a small rural town in the south, and ending with a young woman’s wedding night, who learns from her new husband what it takes to kill a man, Nash writes across the complications of working class women, rendering their desires with visceral prose and psychologically dissecting the fundamental root that threads her work: craving and the conflicts within.“Serious sad girl vibes. Both disturbing and compulsive.” - Cosmopolitan

Carrie Kills A Man* is about growing up in a world that doesn’t want you, and about how it feels to throw a hand grenade into a perfect life. It’s the story of how a tattooed transgender rock singer killed a depressed suburban dad, and of the lessons you learn when you renounce all your privilege and power. When more people think they’ve seen a ghost than met a trans person, it’s easy for bad actors to exploit that – and they do, as you can see from the headlines and online. But here’s the reality, from someone who’s living it. From coming out and navigating trans parenthood to the thrills of gender-bending pop stars, fashion disasters and looking like Velma Dinkley, this is a tale of ripping it up and starting again: Carrie’s story in all its fearless, frank and funny glory. *“Spoiler: That man was me.” – Carrie“Nasty & funny! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.” - Patton Oswalt

Queer musicians have long mined beauty from the darkest of seams – and today's artists are taking that treasure and using it to make magic. In Small Town Joy, trans writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall discovers the sometimes surprising ways LGBTQ+ artists changed Scotland's soundtrack, meeting Scots artists, industry insiders and music fans to celebrate the music and musicians that filled floors, opened minds and changed lives.Featuring interviews with Shirley Manson (Garbage), Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES), Sean Dickson (HIFI Sean), Maya Evan MacGregor and many more.

A handpicked crew of dykes board the Caledonian Sleeper bound for Glasgow. A couple wrestle with gender roles when their flat inventory includes a brand new baby. A young man's world expands with possibility in Barcelona, while lust mingles with faith and celebrity in verse. Curious and provocative, sometimes domestic, sometimes otherworldly, this collection of stories, poems and memoir provides a snapshot of Scotland’s queer community and LGBTI+ writing scene, and captures the variety of experiences that bind our community together.The full Fierce Salvage line-up is: Adi Novak, Alyson Kissner, AW Earl, Cal Bannerman, Carrie Marshall, Ciara Maguire, Colin Herd, Colin McGuire, Elspeth Wilson, Ely Percy, Etzali Hernandez, Eve Brandon, Fraser Currie, Hannah Nicholson, Heather Parry, Jane Flett, Lakshmi Ajay, Len Lukowski, Mae Diansangu, Matthew Kinlin, Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin, Paul Brownsey, Pernina Jacobs, Rhys Pearse, River McAskill, Robbie MacLeoid, Ross McFarlane, Samuel Goldie, Shane Strachan, Shola von Reinhold, Shona Floate, Suki Hollywood, Titilayo Farukuoye