photo by lucianvenutian
Short Story Masterclass
with Margaret Drabble
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An exclusive THRESHOLDS collaboration with the
INTERNATIONAL SMALL WONDER SHORT STORY FESTIVAL,
recorded at Charleston Farm, East Sussex.
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In the final instalment of our Short Story Masterclass podcast series, Steve Wasserman talks with highly acclaimed author Margaret Drabble about the adventurous nature of short stories, jigsaw puzzles, showing not telling, and taking a walk to find an idea.
Dame Margaret Drabble was awarded a CBE in 1980 and was made DBE in the 2000 Honours List. She has written a wealth of novels, including A Summer Bird-Cage, The Sea Lady and The Seven Sisters. She has also published many critical articles and books on Arnold Bennett, Wordsworth, Hardy and Angus Wilson, amongst others.
Her short stories are now collected in A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman, published by Penguin in 2011. The collection features fourteen short stories published over four decades.
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In the podcast, Margaret and Steve discuss the story ‘Trespassing’,
which you can read in full on the Guardian website.
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Listen to the
Short Story Masterclass
with Margaret Drabble
(30 minutes)
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Steve Wasserman is a psychotherapist, writer, & the ears into which you might Read Me Something You Love (a podcast + blog). He also does By-Heart poetry courses and events in strange, and out-of-the-way places. Twitterable as @RMSYL.
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With warm thanks to the organisers of the
International Small Wonder Short Story Festival.
Thanks Steve. Interesting point about that three-way show/tell/reader business. I enjoy reading interesting, edgy ‘telling’ if the author’s managed to find a voice that I want to read. In fact, I think I could read a whole story without any ‘showing’ or any action or place or sensory stuff if the voice is sufficiently angry or passionate. I’m sure someone must have written stories like that. I can’t think who.
This was such a treat and a rivetting listen. Thank you so much.