Hello Rob. It’s great to have you onboard with the Hunger anthology. Thank you for taking part in this interview, can you tell us a little a bit about yourself?
I grew up in Scunthorpe and moved to Newcastle to study, and now live in Whitley Bay on England’s north-east coast. I teach part-time in a primary school (three days a week) to allow myself time to write, read, go to the cinema and pursue other creative activities. And eat crisps.
I write short fiction and poetry for children and adults, and I’ve been published in various places, both print and online. My work has also appeared in a shop window, a football programme, a footpath and a Lush gift pack.
My debut poetry collection, This Poem Here, was written during the pandemic as an immediate response to various events concerning my family and the wider/political world, It was published by Arachne Press in 2021.
There will hopefully be a publication for children to talk about in the near future.
Foodbanks have become a part of our life. What started as a means to support those in financial difficulty has now turned into a long-term lifeline for many. Do you think that we will ever be free of them, or do you believe they will be here to stay?
I wrote a poem about Foodbanks a few years ago and it’s been reprinted in various places, and I really wish there was no need for that particular writing to keep seeing the light of day.
In the UK, there is absolutely no chance of us being free of them without a change in government, and even with a new Labour government, as seems likely (even with the foul mud-slinging which we will surely see in the next few months), I can’t see the need for them disappearing. We have a government that could not be further removed from the reality of the day-to-day lives of huge parts of the country. So many ‘representatives’ of the two main parties do not represent their constituents at all. They live completely different lives in completely different places, and get away with propping up a foul system which brings shame on all of us.
Do you think it is down to the volunteers and fellow man to keep food banks going or should the government be doing more to intervene?
On the ground the people who run Foodbanks are those with the skill sets to do a good job – and top of the list of the skill sets would be empathy, compassion and common human decency. I’m sure there are some bureaucrats who could organise their co-ordination and distribution networks, but what I’d really like to see is a basic income for all. The recent experiment in Finland seems to suggest that it might not lead to a huge increase in job-finding, but it’s had positive effects on health and stress, which is worth the investment in itself. For decades the governments of this country have focused on spending money on the things they have broken. Instead of spending money on health and fitness, we give money to big pharma for drugs. We take away funding for education, youth clubs, sports and community facilities and then boast about how much we are spending on tackling crime. The lack of joined-up thinking is embarrassing. There needs to be a radical redistribution of wealth and opportunity in this country, and less money spent on advertising campaigns and lobbying for ‘Levelling Up’, etc.
Here at Urban Pigs Press we believe that the indie writing scene is an incredible place of support. From fellow writers to zines and indie presses. Who is your favourite writer in the indie community and why?
Great question. I’m going to sing the praises of the poet, prose poet, flash writer and diarist (among other things) Steve Urwin, who is also based in the north-east. Steve writes about the everyday in a really clever and gripping way, combining gritty realism with humour and a lightness of touch. Steve has published poetry with well-established indie presses like Red Squirrel Press, as well as other writing with lots of smaller ones. He has also put out selections of his own work through Talking Pen. Last year, he managed to publish a pamphlet every month of the year. Steve made these twelve delights, and his own journals and books by hand, and they’re very special.
Tell us about your latest work? Do you have any books you would like our readers to know about?
I’ve just had four poems on Northern Gravy, with another four to feature in One Hand Clapping later this year. I have a flash fiction/memoir hybrid in the new edition of Strix magazine which comes out on March 1st.
How did you first hear about Urban Pigs Press?
Instagram. It tends to be where I come across more and more writers and publishers these day. My memory isn’t good enough to remember the exact route, but it proves that following links and recommendations from friends on social media can lead to all sorts of good things!
You know, I thinks that’s our less used social. It certainly shows the system can work. Really pleased that it did and led you to us with your writing. Your interview is great and you actually just summed up what I was saying today about the current government not fixing anything. We’re in a worse state now than the famous “there’s no money left, good luck” note. I wonder what legacy they will leave behind…
I really enjoyed ‘Eye Level” and that gritty realism that it brought with it. I don’t want to add anything else to that for fear of giving the ending away, but I can’t wait for our readers to enjoy it. Thanks again.
Read ‘Eye Level’ by Rob Walton in the Hunger anthology from TOMORROW! 11th of March.
Scunthorpe-born Rob Walton now lives in Whitley Bay. His poems, flash fictions and short stories for adults and children have appeared in various anthologies and magazines in the UK, USA, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. Arachne Press published his debut poetry collection, This Poem Here, 2021. He is a two-time winner of the Bread and Roses poetry award. He has also written scripts, a pathway and columns for Scunthorpe United’s matchday magazine. Social media: @robwaltonwriter.
thewalton2003@yahoo.co.uk
New release date for the HUNGER anthology!
11/03/24
We have slightly delayed the release date for the HUNGER anthology by a few days and have now scheduled it for the 11th March. We always expected a challenge and this beast has certainly been that. We think you’ll agree that it will be worth the wait and we look forward to sharing this fantastic collection with everyone on our new date.
Initial release will be through Amazon and Kindle but we hope to have physical copies in local book shops soon after. One place you can be sure to find this incredible collection will be Dial Lane Books in Ipswich. Andrew has been as much a part of this fantastic cause as all our contributors. We couldn’t be any more excited to share this with everyone. 23 different authors have given up their time and talent to help us make a difference to those in need and we are beyond grateful to each and everyone one of you. Jo Andrews has gone above and beyond to deliver us a cover that represents everything we set out to do. Cody Sexton has also contributed with an incredible piece of talent for our title page. We are both proud and humbled by the incredible efforts of everyone involved. Stephen J. Golds and Rob Jelly (BBC Suffolk) have also given their time to praise this darkly beautiful collection.
As part of our promotion for the anthology we will be posting interviews from the authors involved. Judging by some of the answers given already, I can confirm that we really have discovered a great bunch of humans in this anthology.
This book won’t put an end to poverty or hunger. Neither will it change the agendas of our politicians. But it will make a direct impact to a few of those we hope to represent. And for now, we’ll take it. So, please set that date in your calendar and help us to make that difference.
The Hunger anthology is a collection of 23 stories by 23 different authors. Tales of brutal reality, dark horror, gritty crime and dark humour sprawled out upon each page. Each story delivering a unique take on the prompt HUNGER. A true representation of some of the strongest talents within the writing community.
“A collection of stories that are as close to the bone in literary class as they are in their scathing analysis of a broken society.”
– Stephen J. Golds
Author of Say Goodbye When I’m Gone
“Part social commentary, part linguistic showcase, the authors of Hunger share such thought-provoking stories of a feeling that no-one is alienated from.
Some will leave you angry, some will leave you grateful and some will leave you with questions.
I would say it was a joy to read but more accurately, I am a more rounded-person for reading it.
You’re about to go on a journey. Where to? You will know when you get there.”
– Rob Jelly
Urban Pigs Press 
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