This month we are celebrating the publication of Jersey City Writers member Charlotte Hammond’s short story, “Children’s Day,” which will appear in the upcoming anthology, A Tapestry of Colours, from Marshall Cavendish Asia. The collection is geared toward high-school-age learners and focuses on the cultural practices of specific Asian countries.
Hammond’s story is centered on Children’s Day and the practice of ancestor worship, which is an ancient tradition that still exists in Korea today. “I lived in Seoul, South Korea from 2012–2016 and that experience has shaped a great deal of my work,” Hammond says. “Korean writers excel at mood and atmospheric/mood-heavy fiction is one of my favorite things to read, so I am always hoping to convey a strong mood in my writing. I felt inspired to write about the complexities of ancestor worship in contemporary characters. Ancestor worship was a great jumping off point for this story.”
Hammond writes fiction—mostly short stories and flash fiction—and submitted her story to the anthology based on a submissions call. It’s been a bit tricky to preorder the anthology from the US since the publisher is based in Singapore, but hopefully it will be easier to pick up a copy once it is published. “[I’m] still very excited to have my name in print nonetheless,” she says.
Hailing from the Jersey Shore, Hammond now lives and writes in Jersey City. Her short stories have appeared in Pithead Chapel, the Capra Review and others. She has completed one full-length anthology of stories and has started a few novels. She’s been a member of JCW since 2018, attending Thursday nights pre-pandemic, workshops, and a few Full Stories. You can say hi or congrats on Instagram @lotte_world!