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Joseph Ridgwell
Joseph Ridgwell is a novelist, short story writer and poet. Controversy follows this writer at every turn. His, publications, over fifteen to date, see the writer fictionalising his entire life and in doing so inventing a new literary genre - the so called - Cosmic Realism. The author himself has been quoted as saying that Cosmic Realism - which Ridgwell alllegedly invented on a remote beach in Mexico in the last years of the 20th century - is the ability to tell a story so far-fetched and obviously not based in any sort of reality, but which the listener, or reader, readily accepts as truth. Try it, says Ridgwell, it's not easy. Ridgwell also believes that true life novels, as in novels which describe events that actually happened in real life, are the only way forward for modern literature. Everything else, says Ridgwell, is badly written fairy tales, which disengage any potential reader.

Ridgwell admits that he once wrote a few hack pieces for the Guardian Newspaper but stopped writing what he called boring stuff after clashing with the sub books editor, Dick Lea who in Ridgwell's words, had too much time on his hands and the intellectual capacity of a lump of jelly.

In 2015 New Yorks Bottle of Smoke Press published Ridgwell's second short story collection - Ridgwell Stories - with artwork by Calif artist Jose Arroyo. The collection was long-listed for the 2016 Saboteur awards and nominated for a 2016 Pushcart Prize.

Ridgwell publications are highly sort after and command high prices. Most are limited editions and difficult to come by. Ridgwell has been published by Blac heath books, Pigear press, 3AM press, Kilmog Press,, Leamington Books, and Paper & Ink, and numerous other small presses.

In 2015 - Leamington Books published Ridgwell's latest novel - Burrito Deluxe - again with noted artwork by Arroyo - and described as the road novel to end all road novels. Blurbs by established author John King adorn both Burrito Deluxe and Ridgwell Stories, along with blurbs by authors Mark Safranko and Tony O'Neill

Rumours on the underground literary scene are that Ridgwell's 6th collection of poetry - Cosmic Gigantic Flywheel - is to be published by Editions Lenka Lente in Paris France in 2017.

If you join them - says Ridgwell - you will always be at odds with them and everything they stand for.

Ridgwell currently resides in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Works

Poetry

2008 Where are the Rebels? - Blackheath Books

2009 Load the Guns - Blackheath Books

2010 Lost Elation -  Kilmog Press – (New Zealand)

2012 Fire Island - Pig Ear Press

2014 A Child of the Jago - Kilmog Press

2015 - Passive & Where are the Rebels - Poems For All - USA

2016 The Last Night with You, 8mm & Others - Poems For All - USA

Short Fiction

2009 Protest – Beat the Dust Books (literary collaboration)

2010 Oswald’s Apartment – Blackheath Books (short story collection)

2011 Honduras - (ebook) Mendicant Bookworks

2012 The Tsanta Expedition - Bottle of Smoke Press

2013 The Famous Ice Cream Run - 3AM Press

2014 Cuba - Pig Ear Press

2015 Ridgwell Stories - Bottle of Smoke Press (short story collection)

2016 Jamaica - Pig Ear Press

2016 Mexico - Pig Ear Press

Fiction

2009 Last Days of the Cross – Grievous Jones Press (novella)

2011 The Buddha Bar - A Memoir – Blackheath Books

2011 Indonesia - A Novella – Kilmog Press

2015 - Burrito Deluxe - Leamington Books (novel)

2015 The Cross Part 1 - Paper & Ink Press

2016 The Cross Part 2 - Paper & Ink Press

2016 The Cross Part 3 - Paper & Ink Press