Stella Duffy’s ‘To Brixton Beach’
CARINE OSMONT recommends ‘To Brixton Beach’ by Stella Duffy: ‘It does away with plot and action and tells of a day at the Lido, Brixton’s open-air swimming pool…’
Another Brandy
‘For many, myself included, it is the short stories, out of all his works, that remain the most memorable.’ JASON CLIFTON recommends Ernest Hemingway’s ‘A Clean, Well-Lighted Place’.
What I Want as a Reader, Discovered via Keret
ANGELA READMAN shows us the ‘Yes Factor’ in Etgar Keret’s work: ‘…reading should give us a buzz too. I recommend Keret, but mostly I recommend getting in touch with small things in fiction that have the ‘Yes Factor’ for you…’
Lick My Words
In her essay, EVER DUNDAS introduces us to ‘The Erl-King’ by Angela Carter: ‘I haven’t come across another writer who makes me feel such joy when I read their work. She weaves a spell, pulling you into her dark, beautiful and perverse worlds.’
Screwtop Thompson by Magnus Mills
In his essay, EAMONN GRIFFIN looks at how Magnus Mills’ work is ‘characterised by its constraints: Englishness, routine, lack of information, anonymised male narrators, potentially comic situations with an unfolding atmosphere of unease…’
Finding Short Stories Within a Novel
In her essay on Carol Shields’ The Stone Diaries, RUBA ABUGHAIDA discusses the short story elements of this award-winning novel: ‘…a series of Russian nesting dolls, with the stories nesting within each other, yet each one still capable of standing on their own…’
A Singular Collection
In his essay, MIKE SMITH discusses the short stories of James Joyce, from the collection Dubliners: ‘Instead of being led, or driven, by authorial enthusiasm this writing told of flawed individuals who failed to rise to traditional heroics…’
Short Story Masterclass… with Margaret Drabble
PODCAST: In the final instalment of our Short Story Masterclass series, Steve Wasserman talks with MARGARET DRABBLE about the adventurous nature of short stories, jigsaw puzzles, showing not telling, and taking a walk to find an idea.
Story: Stuart Evers’ ‘The Best Place in Town’
STORY: Read ‘The Best Place in Town’ by award-winning author Stuart Evers. ‘David Falmer couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment he lost control of John’s stag party; but he knew it was long before the topic of conversation had turned to hookers…’
Stories from the Far Side of Research
In her essay on Bio-Punk, KIRSTY WALTERS talks of the haunting use of science and ethics in this wonderful short story collection: ‘…it opened my mind to a whole new way of thinking…’