J A Croome

The insightful and intimate stories in THE SAND PEOPLE meander through hope and despair, loss and triumph, and the distance between longing and belonging.

The Wedding explores the love of a man for an unusually silent woman. In The Sand People, a down-on-his-luck salesman is saved by a marching column of ants. Mermaids, refugees, lost children, and a man returning to the land of his ancestors blur the lines of otherwise ordinary lives by reaching into otherworldly spaces to explore the… Show more

The insightful and intimate stories in THE SAND PEOPLE meander through hope and despair, loss and triumph, and the distance between longing and belonging.

The Wedding explores the love of a man for an unusually silent woman. In The Sand People, a down-on-his-luck salesman is saved by a marching column of ants. Mermaids, refugees, lost children, and a man returning to the land of his ancestors blur the lines of otherwise ordinary lives by reaching into otherworldly spaces to explore the everyday struggles of identity, loss, and the aching desires of our hearts.

Heavily steeped in Africa's feral heat, THE SAND PEOPLE ventures beyond the continent's frontiers into a world where the landscape differs, but our common humanity transcends cultural differences. Show less

Judy Croome’s latest collection of poetry returns to the ancient ways of the Nordic runes, shining a light of hope and healing as we navigate through the wilderness of anxiety permeating these early years of the twenty-first century.

The simple verses console the reader with a calm acceptance that, even during a global pandemic, everyday life ebbs and flows with the natural rhythms of the timeless oceans.

Here are poems that invite us to stop, to breathe, and to see the world… Show more

Judy Croome’s latest collection of poetry returns to the ancient ways of the Nordic runes, shining a light of hope and healing as we navigate through the wilderness of anxiety permeating these early years of the twenty-first century.

The simple verses console the reader with a calm acceptance that, even during a global pandemic, everyday life ebbs and flows with the natural rhythms of the timeless oceans.

Here are poems that invite us to stop, to breathe, and to see the world around us from a new perspective birthed within the centre of our souls. Show less

DROP BY DROP (poems of loss) by Judy CroomeTo care for a terminally ill loved one is to enter into an experience from which neither hope nor regret can free you. You must live through the dying, the duty and the devotion. You must survive the sorrow.In this poetry collection, Judy Croome seeks the spiritual heart within the tangible realities of caring for her dying husband. Sometimes brutal and frank, often tender and compassionate, both lamentation and praise song, these personal poems refuse… Show more

DROP BY DROP (poems of loss) by Judy CroomeTo care for a terminally ill loved one is to enter into an experience from which neither hope nor regret can free you. You must live through the dying, the duty and the devotion. You must survive the sorrow.In this poetry collection, Judy Croome seeks the spiritual heart within the tangible realities of caring for her dying husband. Sometimes brutal and frank, often tender and compassionate, both lamentation and praise song, these personal poems refuse to cut emotional corners and yet evoke a haunting sense of higher meaning.The poems in DROP BY DROP go beyond the particular to speak of the deepest longings and darkest fears of the care-giving experience, while remaining sharply aware of how love transcends loss. Show less

Co-authored with Dr Beric Croome, STREET SMART TAXPAYERS is a non-fiction work that uses taxpayer anecdotes, humour and illustrations to present complex tax laws and taxpayer rights in an easy to understand format for the ordinary South African taxpayer. Published by Juta Law, September 2017

Judy Croome's poem The Beggar's Cry appears in Black Letter Media's latest quarterly anthology "Love & Compassion: Poetry Potion #11". Poets featured in this edition are: Angkush, Athur C. Ford, Beatrice Abrams, Beula Kapp, Chestlyn Draghoender, Diana Anyango, Elshma.M, essays, Eurika Black, Gameedah Riffel, Gill Homu, Iquo Dianaabasi, Judy Croome, Kimmy Alan, Megan Ross, Moira van Wyk, NNCS, Nqaba Dano, Palesa Seele, Phillip Taute, Rehan Qayoom, Stephen Symons, Tsiko Renda, Vangile Gatsho… Show more

Judy Croome's poem The Beggar's Cry appears in Black Letter Media's latest quarterly anthology "Love & Compassion: Poetry Potion #11". Poets featured in this edition are: Angkush, Athur C. Ford, Beatrice Abrams, Beula Kapp, Chestlyn Draghoender, Diana Anyango, Elshma.M, essays, Eurika Black, Gameedah Riffel, Gill Homu, Iquo Dianaabasi, Judy Croome, Kimmy Alan, Megan Ross, Moira van Wyk, NNCS, Nqaba Dano, Palesa Seele, Phillip Taute, Rehan Qayoom, Stephen Symons, Tsiko Renda, Vangile Gatsho, Xihluke Mlangeni, Zongezile Matshoba Show less

Judy Croome's poem WINTER included in Poetry Potion #10, "This Woman Is" quarterly print journal from Black Letter Media

Judy Croome enjoys a self-catering holiday filled with miracles and wonder in Chiavenna, Italy

After a busy week of business in Basel, Switzerland, where my husband attended a conference, we headed for Chiavenna, Italy. High in the Alps, Chiavenna lies close to the Swiss border. Already known in Roman times, this Italian town rose to prominence as an independent...

“a stranger in a strange land” speaks of loneliness, longing and love; of broken dreams, deep faith and family ties. judy croome’s poetry — stark and complex, profound and brutal — explores cats and cancer; race and gender; nature, technology and being vegetarian. this volume of poetry deals with challenging themes, but also contains an acceptance of life’s ups-and-downs as well as the promise of a soul-restoring peace.

“The promise implicit in an anthology is that it aspires to present something different, unexpected” Joyce Carol Oates (Introduction to The Oxford Book of American Short Stories)

From the classical form of 'The Weight of a Feather', first published by The Huffington Post (2013), to the suggestive allegory of 'The Leopard and The Lizard', this collection of short stories by South African author Judy Croome is an ideal mix of the familiar and the startling.

These vibrant slices… Show more

“The promise implicit in an anthology is that it aspires to present something different, unexpected” Joyce Carol Oates (Introduction to The Oxford Book of American Short Stories)

From the classical form of 'The Weight of a Feather', first published by The Huffington Post (2013), to the suggestive allegory of 'The Leopard and The Lizard', this collection of short stories by South African author Judy Croome is an ideal mix of the familiar and the startling.

These vibrant slices of life testify to the mysterious and luminous resources of the human spirit. Whether feeling the harrowing emotion in 'The Last Sacrifice' or the jauntiness of 'Jannie Vermaak’s New Bicycle', the reader will delight in a plethora of stories that cross boundaries to both challenge and entertain with their variety. Show less

A short story about a girl's love for her pet chickens published by The Huffington Post in their "Featured Fiction 50" series.

The Huffington Post is listed by Wikipedia as "an online news aggregator and blog ... the site offers news, blogs, and original content and covers politics, business, entertainment, environment, technology, popular media, lifestyle, culture, comedy, healthy living, women's interests, and local news ...in July 2012, The Huffington Post was ranked #1 on the 15… Show more

A short story about a girl's love for her pet chickens published by The Huffington Post in their "Featured Fiction 50" series.

The Huffington Post is listed by Wikipedia as "an online news aggregator and blog ... the site offers news, blogs, and original content and covers politics, business, entertainment, environment, technology, popular media, lifestyle, culture, comedy, healthy living, women's interests, and local news ...in July 2012, The Huffington Post was ranked #1 on the 15 Most Popular Political Sites list by eBizMBA Rank, which bases its list on each site's Alexa Global Traffic Rank and U.S. Traffic Rank from both Compete and Quantcast." Show less

A short story published by Itch Magazine, ITCH is an on-line periodical for experimental creative work by emerging and established writers and artists working in a wide variety of media published by the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Literature, Language and Media in the Faculty of Humanities.

An anthology of short stories, The Fall explores different visions of the apocalypse. Ancient prophecies, technological Armageddon, failures of government, a distracted deity, and yes, zombies all have their moments in this collection, but so do love, yearning, hope, and humor. In the end, the apocalypse offers a path to new beginnings, even if it takes a course through death, despair, and destruction to find them.

THE LAST SACRIFICE by Judy Croome is told from the perspective of a… Show more

An anthology of short stories, The Fall explores different visions of the apocalypse. Ancient prophecies, technological Armageddon, failures of government, a distracted deity, and yes, zombies all have their moments in this collection, but so do love, yearning, hope, and humor. In the end, the apocalypse offers a path to new beginnings, even if it takes a course through death, despair, and destruction to find them.

THE LAST SACRIFICE by Judy Croome is told from the perspective of a religious leader in an ancient indigenous culture and challenges readers with questions about faith, sacrifice and disillusionment.

The anthology includes stories by: R.C. Lewis (Author), Matt Sinclair (Editor), Jean Oram (Editor), Cat Woods (Editor), Mindy McGinnis (Editor), Calista Taylor (Cover Design), A.M. Supinger, P.S. Carrillo, J. Lea Lopez, Judy Croome, Amy Trueblood, ,R.S. Mellette, Alexandra Tys O'Connor, Ryan Graudin Show less

Containing a wide selection of poems, a Lamp at Midday gives voice to the contrasts and contradictions of modern life. As they challenge complex emotions and explore timeless themes, these poems also have relevance for the reader’s own life. This personal collection of poems is a vivid celebration of one woman's spiritual questioning and earthly existence, speaking with a haunting intensity of life, loss and love.

A poem protesting the destruction of the African Lion

Haiku

A short story about a migrant gold miner, appearing in VARIATIONS ON A THEME, the 3rd annual anthology published by The Literary Lab.

A poem

Lulu is different to others. Once, she believed, she had a friend to love her. Then that friend betrayed her and Lulu learned that hate is safer than love. When she begins her new life at the Court of St Jerome in the Old Sea City, she finds people who must fight their personal demons of hatred, ambition and greed. Embraced in St Jerome’s fold, Lulu learns to trust again, perhaps even to love.

Nothing, however, is as it seems and Lulu discovers that love doesn’t always wear the face of… Show more

Lulu is different to others. Once, she believed, she had a friend to love her. Then that friend betrayed her and Lulu learned that hate is safer than love. When she begins her new life at the Court of St Jerome in the Old Sea City, she finds people who must fight their personal demons of hatred, ambition and greed. Embraced in St Jerome’s fold, Lulu learns to trust again, perhaps even to love.

Nothing, however, is as it seems and Lulu discovers that love doesn’t always wear the face of the one you yearn to call beloved.

Lyrical and atmospheric, buoyed by touches of magical realism, this compelling spiritual story explores the sacrifices people make in the pursuit of their dreams. Lulu’s quest, and that of Jamila and Zahra too, is to find the divine love that will fulfil their hopes and save their souls...if they can recognise the masks of those who seek to lead them astray. Show less

A short story about the South African Border War

A poem to my beloved

To celebrate artistic freedom, The Lit Lab put together a collection of stories that were accepted before they were actually written. Featured writers gained entry into the anthology by impressing The Lit Lab editors with past work or proposals. From those early applications, Michelle, Scott & Domey selected twenty-five of their favorite writers and gave them ten pages to do whatever they wanted. The Lit Lab received poetry, artwork, and some amazing short stories that are both traditional and… Show more

To celebrate artistic freedom, The Lit Lab put together a collection of stories that were accepted before they were actually written. Featured writers gained entry into the anthology by impressing The Lit Lab editors with past work or proposals. From those early applications, Michelle, Scott & Domey selected twenty-five of their favorite writers and gave them ten pages to do whatever they wanted. The Lit Lab received poetry, artwork, and some amazing short stories that are both traditional and experimental. Writers challenged themselves, and only themselves, to see what they could truly create when they weren’t worried about rejection. In Notes From Underground readers will find a range of emotions and personalities that is as broad as the range of writers that frequent our great online community. Show less

Short story on loss and grief