Naming Names…
‘A Fitlow is not a Whitlow, no more than a Dunky is a Harvey…’ MIKE SMITH explores the importance and meanings of character names by looking at those used in the short stories of A.E Coppard.
Short Story Masterclass… with Joseph O’Connor
MASTERCLASS PODCAST: In the second of our Short Story Masterclass podcasts, Joseph O’Connor talks about super-charging language, the taxi meter in readers’ heads, and how to know when your writing isn’t as good as it should be.
Bridges – A Global Anthology of Short Stories
‘Opening Bridges is like opening a box of tricks with each story containing a new, magical insight into human nature and the bridges that connect us.’ KIRSTY WALTERS recommends a Global Anthology of Short Stories.
Robert Louis Stevenson Day
‘Haunting, thought-provoking and superbly written. Perfect bedtime reading on dark November nights.’ As part of the celebrations on Robert Louis Stevenson Day, Professor BILL GRAY introduces us to the life and fables of the man himself.
Stories in Performance: A New Genre
JONATHAN TAYLOR, editor of Overheard: Stories to Read Aloud, discusses the new-genre (or sub-genre) of short fiction – the performance story.
Remembering Sam Selvon’s Short Stories
In his essay CYRIL DABYDEEN discusses memories of Sam Selvon’s short stories: ‘Selvon’s story-telling became immediate folklore with long-lasting echoes, due to his natural voice in narration and dialogue.’
A Space of Suspended Morality
ELLIE WALSH recommends ‘What We Wanted’, a short story by Canadian writer Michael V. Smith: ‘it is a story that shatters sides and boundaries.’
For Esmé—with Love and Squalor
An essay by WANDA CAMPBELL: ‘When I read ‘For Esmé–With Love and Squalor’, I did not know it was considered one of J.D. Salinger’s best stories, but I knew that I liked it.’
Author Profile: Ali Smith
EMMA YOUNG looks at the life and writing of Ali Smith: ‘It is Smith’s focus and attention to voice that marks her out as a unique writer…’
Story: May Malone by David Almond
STORY: Read DAVID ALMOND’s short story ‘May Malone’. Almond’s stories have appeared in numerous magazines, anthologies and illustrated books, and in two collections, Sleepless Nights and A Kind of Heaven, both published by IRON Press.