Author and podcast presenter Dale Hurst celebrated the release of Silhouettes, his first-ever short story and poetry collection, at a well-attended book launch and signing event at TheGallery, Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).
Marking his first publication in five years, Dale’s new anthology includes nine short stories and 14 poems, spanning a range of subjects and genres, from psychological and gothic horror to surreal comedy and domestic saga.
Dale says, “It’s an indictment of human nature. It brings you tales of love and lobsters; grief and greed; midnight robbery and daylight snobbery.
“Silhouettes provides windows into 21 years of my life, from when I first ‘seriously’ started writing, with one of my shorts paying tribute to the first original piece I wrote at the age of 10.
“Others look at more recent episodes; when I worked in hospitality, assessments of people around me, even homages to favourite bands and to people who are sadly no longer with us.”
Local to Bournemouth, Dale studied an MA Creative Writing and Publishing degree at Bournemouth University in 2021, as well as pursuing a short course (run by what's now known as AUB Academy) in Writing for Film, Television and Radio back in 2011.
Violet M. McClean, TheGallery Curator and Manager, commented, “For me, creativity sits at the heart of everything we do at AUB, and TheGallery is the place where we celebrate all our creative subjects and all the creative languages spoken here.
“We offer both a degree, a Master’s and short courses in creative writing, and we are here to celebrate that practice and those voices.
"What Dale and I share is a love of words, and I truly find his command of the English language inspiring. How he weaves words into stories that create vivid images in our minds with intellect and wit as he curates words on the page.”
Dale’s writing has already been commended by fellow authors:
Awais Khan, author of In the Shadows of Love and No Honour, comments, “This is a collection that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. With Silhouettes, Hurst proves that he is a writer at the top of his game.”
Meanwhile, award-winning and international bestselling thriller author Avanti Centrae (Cleopatra’s Vendetta), advises readers, “Sip and savour these vignettes. Like a fine wine, they will linger in your memory and leave you wanting more.”
Unquestionably Monstrous author Alex Colvin adds, “This collection is some of Hurst’s sharpest writing yet… [his] crisp style serves him well in dark tales that reach from the first-class section down to the gutter, exploring a grim and beautiful world between danger and mystery in between.”
Silhouettes, a collection by Dale Hurst, is available from book retailers including Amazon, as well as his own website.
