"Catholic" fiction or just writing with truth? 'The Body of This' by Andrew McNabb

I was recently contacted to help publicise a book of short stories by Andrew McNabb (great grand nephew of Vincent McNabb). He has written a book of short stories called The Body of This which have been entitled "Catholic fiction". Of course it is no shame to receive this title for your work but it does mean that you might need a little help getting it out into the wider world - especially here in England.

I am not sure anything can ever really be described as "Catholic fiction" but more the story of humanity, based on the reality of truth. I would not object to the label either, but it is a shame that the secular publishers are so afraid of anything that goes against the trend of the secular society in which we live that they will not spend time promoting it. They would rather put a label on it and put it in the corner, claiming it can have no relevance for anybody but those of the same religion as the author. Yet look at the recent Sacred Made Real exhibition here in London- some told the National Gallery that a self respecting Brit would never put a foot through the door of anything so embarrassingly Christian- yet the opposite proved to be the case. England is thirsty for a centre but too frightened to say it out loud. Literature can be another way to quench this thirst

Our humanity, our link to one another is through Christ. John Paul II said that to deprive a society of Christ was an "inhuman act" because it was to deny them the solution to the reality of identity. In this case any fiction about the nature of humanity could be called "Catholic fiction"

It is important to promote good fiction of value and worth, fiction that touches upon that reality of who we are, that questions and explores the soul of the human person. For this reason I agreed to put a link out, for all my blog readers but, particularly those in the UK (since there is little budget here for promotion for "Catholic fiction") so that they have the opportunity to be aware that this writing is out there and for EVERYBODY - not just Catholic readers.

The Amazon link is here
More about Andre McNabb here

Just a little time for reflection

Dear Loyal Blog Visitors,

How much I have been missing you all since the start of the new term. I hope you have all had peaceful and fruitful starts to your New Year. Mine has been a little hectic but I'm just beginning to catch my breath and be still for a little while. I have made several applications in the past week, looking at the possibility of venturing out of my current comfort zone. I hope you will pray for me, that my path is one filled with the right choices and that I may learn to serve Him first and myself second.

I have some posts planned for the next few days and I can't wait to get back to reading my favourite blogs. After the snow I think I can see just a fragment of spring breaking through the darkness and life beginning to reawaken. A little hope for these dark winter days. Seasons really are metaphors that explain themseleves.

Yours in prayer