Paul Haines died last monday after a long battle with cancer. Paul was a close friend and, in a professional capacity, had a long association with coeur de lion publishing. Our first anthology c0ck featured not one but two Paul Haines stories, the Ditmar-winning ‘The Devil in Mr Pussy’ (which you can hear Paul read on our sister TISF website) and the darkly squirmy ‘Father Father’.
Of course, the brutally bleak ‘Wives’ that appeared in our next anthology X6, was a labour of love (if that’s the right term) for both Paul and CDL. Like so many things worth doing, it brought personal rewards, working together to bring Jimbo’s story to the printed page. And the critical response was unparralleled. To date ‘Wives’ has won an Aurealis, a Ditmar and a Vogel award.
Any time Paul contacted us with a story, we always sat up and took notice. Not just because they were well-written, good stories. But because they showed Paul’s searing honesty and fearlessness as a writer. We had hoped to publish many more works by Paul. Sadly that was not to be.
Safe journey, my friend.